After All
by WIWJ
Summary: After all the stops and starts, we keep coming back to these two hearts'. Post series.. Can Faith and Bosco have a happy bleeping ending After All?
1. Chapter 1

His icon sat there, mocking her from the second he singed on. She watched the little head bob around.

He did this every once and a while, got on at four am and shot her an email. Scanned down his buddy list at one in the morning and said hello. She wondered why he did it when he did.

Weeks, and once or twice in the last two years even months, had gone by when he didn't. But it never failed, like a migrating duck he would return to her.

A migrating-. Seriously she'd been watching too much Animal Planet. Who the fuck compares a person to a-.

Scarface: Faith?

fmiller-nypd79: What are you doing up?

Scarface: I could ask you the same thing.

fmiller-nypd79: I asked first.

Scarface: Went out with a bunch of the guys from work.

fmiller-nypd79: yeah?

Scarface: Yeah.

fmiller-nypd79: Just like old times?

Scarface: Never is. Did you know ducks mate for life?

She stopped breathing for a second. Starring at the icon like it would provide her some logic to that.

Scarface: Faith? You still there?

fmiller-nypd79: Yeah.. sorry.. When did you pick up an interest in water fowl?

Scarface: Water what?

fmiller-nypd79: Ducks Bosco.

Scarface: Jerry was going on and on about ducks at the damn bar.

fmiller-nypd79: Sounds riveting.

Scarface: You still at work?

fmiller-nypd79: Yeah.

Yeah work, that's it. Work.

Scarface: Big case?

fmiller-nypd79: Is that why you still talk to me? To live vicariously through my cases? J

Scarface: You're on to me.

fmiller-nypd79: Come on spill it. What's up Boz?

Scarface: Can't I just drop my old partner a line every once and a while.

fmiller-nypd79: yeah?

Scarface: Yeah. You're surprised?

fmiller-nypd79: No.. we just don't do that very much anymore.

Scarface: We should.

fmiller-nypd79: We should.. Listen Bosco I gotta get back to this before I-.

Scarface: I get it Faith.

fmiller-nypd79: Sorry Boz.

Scarface: It's okay.

fmiller-nypd79: Thanks Partner.

Scarface: I'll see you this weekend.

Faith watched Bosco's icon disappear from her screen, taking a long slow breath.

"This weekend."

* * *

"I forgot my homework." 

"Hurry." Faith grinned at her son, leaning back against the brownstone.

"Faith?" The detective turned towards her ex husband, with a soft smile.

"Hey Fred."

"I got Charlie's suit to the dry cleaners, I'll drop it by tomorrow so he'll have it by Saturday."

"Why?" She shook her blonde head.

"Bosco's Roast thing on Sat-."

"Awh, Fred I'm not going to-."

"You're not going? Seriously Faith you're like the only one in New York."

"You are? You hate him Fred you-."

"What are you doing Faith?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about Faith." He grinned at her. "I could understand before, but.. now. Go to him Faith."

"What are you saying Fred? It's been four months I should be moving on to the next guy that I-?"

"The next guy?" His head bobbed down to the sidewalk. "You and Boscorelli-."

"Hey!" She plastered a fake grin on her face as Charlie reappeared. "Got it?"

"Yeah.. Bye dad."

* * *

"Miller." She mumbled into the phone, rubbing her face with her hand

"He's expecting you to be there." Her daughter's voice shook her out of the semiconscious state she'd been in. She'd fallen asleep at her desk again. How was it she couldn't sleep in her own bed, but here? She dozed right off.

"Em…"

"What am I supposed to say? Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, my mom couldn't be here tonight because she's scared of her feelings for her old partner?"

"Emily!"

"Mom!" Her voice grew quiet. "He's expecting you to be there."

"It's better for him if I-."

"How? How's it better Mom?" Emily sighed. " Christ Mom even Dad's going."

"Your dad just wants to laugh at the crap they'll say about him."

"Charlie and I are at a table right up front with Rose, Sully and the Davis'. His family Mom. You really want that empty chair?"

"Emily, It's more complicated then an empty chair."

"He needs you. He needs you to sit there and smile at him, make fun of him and let him know that no matter what? Those days meant something to you. They were important."

"Of course they-."

"I'll pick you and Charlie up at six, where the black dress Mom you look hot in it."

* * *

He watched her put the phone down, rolling her head around slowly, before rubbing her eyes. He hadn't seen her since John's funeral and even then he'd kept to the back. She hadn't called. He didn't want to assume she'd want him there with her, no matter what Emily said or how badly he wanted to be. 

She looked exhausted. He felt guilty, moving back towards the stairs he could leave the file at the desk. He didn't have to risk her seeing him. Who ever she'd been on the phone with, it hadn't gone well. The last thing she needed was him.

"Boz?" Too late.

"Hey.. Faith.."

"What are you doing here?"

"My um.. Last official report.. I'm handing it over to some of your guys." He held the folder up. Nodding his head wildly like that was going to somehow make it less awkward. "Sorry.. I'm.. out of uniform." He gestured to his casual attire before fixing his gaze on her.

"You look good Boz." He watched the tentative smile on her face turn true as his widened.

"It's not the baby face I was known for but it does okay." He whispered dragging his fingers down the small band-aid on his scared cheek.

"It looks rugged. Dangerous." She teased falling back into 55David Banter so easily that it hurt.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you'd be out investigating that triple homicide on 45th?"

"Ah.. I'm on desk. It's been months I swear I'm going crazy."

"From the accident? I thought..? Em said you were okay!" She didn't miss the alarm in his voice or the way he walked around the edge of the desk towards her.

"I am. Boz. No, I'm fine. I'm just.." She stood up quickly and his eyes blinked as he rapidly scanned her body, backing up to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. "Pregnant."

His hand came out tentatively, before dropping gently on her abdomen.

"No kidding." He muttered.

"Emily never-?"

"I don't.. we don't.." He looked away from her painfully. They didn't talk about her. She got it. She'd never asked Em about him either.

"I understand." She whispered. "I just thought you knew."

"No, I had no.." He unconsciously drew his thumb across her abdomen in short strokes. "You look great Faith."

"I look huge."

"You look beautiful." She pressed her lips together and watched him scan her body, swallowing hard when he met her eyes. "How you doing Faith? You okay?"

"Yeah.. Yeah.. I'm-." She nodded her head half heartedly. "So.. You're really calling it quits huh? I'm shocked. I thought tonight was just an excuse to get drunk on the NYPD. I would have thought you'd have twenty more years in you."

"Yeah.. Well.. I don't wanna turn into Sully now, do I?" He smirked looking at the wall for a second. She watched carefully. "You know he'll be there-." His sentence halted, and his gaze switched immediately to where his hand still rested forgotten on her stomach. "Woah."

She couldn't help but grin at his wondrous reaction to the sudden movement.

"Does… that happen a lot?"

"She's really active."

"She?" He asked softly, drawing his thumb along the site of the little ripples.

Faith nodded at him, cupping her hand over his and moving it to the left before pressing it down.

"Feel that?"

"Damn."

"Yeah. Sleep though that." She chuckled. He looked at her appraisingly before weaving his fingers up through hers and tightening his grasp. "You wanna drop that off and I'll walk you to your car?"

"Ah.." He pulled his hand back gently. "I walked." He nodded slowly. "I was gonna take the subway."

"I could drop you."

"Faith."

"Come on I'm leaving anyway." She smiled at him. "I gotta get ready, some hot shot beat cops having a thing.."

He smiled at her before shaking his head again.

"You ain't going that way."

"I am now." She told him frankly, tapping the file and pointing to the door. His refusal died on his lips when her eyebrow quirked up.

"Yes Ma'am."

* * *

"I can't believe you still live here." Faith blew a steady stream of air out of her lips before dropping onto the sofa. 

"Where would I go?"

"I don't know. Out of here?"

"Why?"

"I don't know Bosco. Change? Growth?"

"I don't like change." His voice was muffled by the refrigerator. "And I'm not really a grower." He pulled back, holding up a can of ginger ale. "It's the best I can do." She grinned at him extending her arm towards the can. "I should have milk or something."

"Yes.. Milk." She teased opening the can. He flopped down beside her on the couch. "The beverage of the pregnant mother."

"Hell Faith, I don't know. I ain't ever been a parent." He opened the beer, taking a swig as he leaned his head back against the couch. He turned towards her silence. "What?"

"How come?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"I don't know Faith. I wouldn't have been any good at it."

"That's not true." She said immediately.

"Maybe.. If I'd have had the right girl. Someone who could keep me honest. Keep me on the right path. Someone who understood me."

"All that looking and you never found anyone who could do that?" She quipped with a grin.

"I lost her." He said softly his eyes drilling into hers. The silence deafened her for a few seconds.

"How?" She barely heard herself.

"I don't know." He swallowed hard, closing his eyes as he turned away. "I was hoping you could tell me." He tossed the beer can back to his lips and pulled it away again.

She moved closer, pulling his face gently back to hers. His unfocused eyes swam in front of her. She waited patiently for them to focus on her before shaking her head slightly.

"I don't think you lost her, Boz." She whispered softly leaning her head on his shoulder.

He turned his face towards her pressing his cheek into her ear, taking a long slow breath of her scent. Still the same. Still Faith. She took the hand that sat on his thigh, joining them loosely.

"Things haven't been right with us, not for a long time." He starred out the window. "I guess I thought maybe she out grew me."

"She was there for you." She whispered her voice shaking enough for him to feel it. "She'll always be there for you."

. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Bosco's Roast.**

**adult content.. bad humor.. hang in there... Lori

* * *

_Can't stay at home, can't stay at school  
Old folks say, ya poor little fool  
Down the street I'm the girl next door  
I'm the fox you've been waiting for_ **

Emily Yokas, Roast Master started them off by taking the stage with the song Cherry Bomb. For a minute, Bosco thought Fred might rush the stage. But he thankfully contained himself next to Carlos and Holly who exchanged grateful glances.

_Hello Daddy, hello Mom  
I'm your ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb  
Hello world I'm your wild girl  
I'm your ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb_

Kim had hit Jimmy in the arm automatically, not even seeing the wide eyed grin that had slipped onto his face when he saw Faith's baby girl all grown up.

_Stone age love and strange sounds too  
Come on baby let me get to you  
Bad nights cause'n teenage blues  
Get down ladies you've got nothing to lose_

Jerry Sigel was Bosco's partner for the last two years, he'd strode in to the tune from Sweet Home Alabama and his accent started the laughter before he'd even hit the punch line.

"When I first started ridin' with Mo.. He'd tell me how wrong I did everything…it was Yokas this and Yokas that.. I was starting to think he was a little.." The man held his hand up palm down and shook it back and forth. "Then tonight I met Faith and hell.. I'd hire people to shoot at me so I could throw myself on top of her!"

He decded Bosco had used the money he won in his Civil Suit to pay her to keep in touch with him.

Ty didn't say much after his grand entrance to I'm Too Sexy. He made some comment about Bosco being a bad role model and riding with him in a day left so much damage for Sully to repair that the big guy never let it happen again. He choked up at first when he mentioned what happened at Mercy. But managed to get the joke in saying how he'd been there.. And how he was glad Sully hadn't been… out of fear that he'd have pulled a Bosco and crushed him to death… He made some comment about how Bosco must have used the settlement money to bribe Jerry to be his partner.

But it was Sully.. Who'd strode in to a loud chorus of Brick House that really got them started.

"I know what he did with the money. He used it to get that damn scar enhanced to give him more street cred'. Seriously who's gonna mess with a guy with a bullet hole in his face!

Anyway.. We would have gotten started earlier but it was raining out and Bosco was throwing himself in front of the drops so Faith wouldn't get wet. He did however get quite damp and Faith had to shoot the weather guy." He looked around while the audience laughed at him. "It took a while to clear the whole thing up.. You know how that is. We couldn't find Sigel, but Ty finally got jealous and pushed him out of my ass so.. we got started.."

"Shit ! Who noticed how hot Emily Yokas got, huh?" He turned and looked at the blushing girl. "Back in the day we'd have called her 'Bosco Bait.'" That initiated a long moan out of the guest of honor who shook his head slowly. "But I guess those days are really behind him now. All those years riding with Faith and she finally rubbed off on him." He wagged his eyes suggestively. "We were hoping that would happen.. Hell I know Bosco was hoping that he could rub off on her, but the rest of us were pullin' for um either way. I think Fred was the only one who-." The crowd started laughing again. "-right Freddy? That about right?" Yokas shook his head ruefully. "Damn. Fred Yokas must be a damn Greek God in the sack to keep Faith and Bosco from boinkin' all those years don't you think?" The crowd yelped and Fred held up his drink to Sully. "But then again we needed to be sure, so I'm sending Sigel over tonight with a six pack to do some research."

"Ahh.. And Maurice Boscorelli, Mo, Bosco.. Super cop, Superman, the True Believer.. Hot Head.. Faith's Bitch.."

Even Faith let out a loud laugh at that one.

"Any body here beside's Faith remember how clumsy he was? Honestly? I don't know how he managed to take down anyone with those big ass feet of his… but you know what they say.. Big Feet, Big Dick.. And you Boscorelli are a really Big Dick." Sully shook his head in adoration walking towards Bosco with outstretched arms. Boz clapped the big man on the back a few times, wiping his eyes from the laughter as Emily slipped back towards the podium.

"I gotta say I'm pretty impressed with people's theories on what Bosco did with his settlement money. I especially liked Sully's." Emily turned and smiled brightly at the former cop. "Uncle Bosco made me swear that I would never tell but-." She craned her head and looked at him sitting there shaking his head. "Lets just say he made sure a troubled teen stayed on the right path and that Boston College thanks the city of New York once a semester." Bosco studied the table top for a second before shooting Emily a embarrassed smile. "My little brother Charlie thinks that Georgetown might enjoy the kick back in a few years."

Faith felt her breath stick in her chest. She turned her head slowly towards Fred. Fred who'd told her not to worry about there college education. Fred who'd told her a relative had insisted in helping out, paying what they couldn't. A relative. Her ex-husband gave her a weak smile and a slow nod.

She didn't know. She never even thought about it.

"I wanted to take some time to tell you about growing up with Bosco. He was like the big brother we never wished for. He ate all our food and bossed us around, broke the rules, and fought with Dad." She lifted her eyes to her father. "But he was mom's favorite, and could do no wrong." Emily rolled her eyes. "You'd think just once she'd have grounded him. Or at least taken away his gun."

"Seriously though.." She turned her head to look at him. "What kind of man charges into a bank robbery like he owns the place just cause you're in there? Who searches hours for you in a snow storm, keeps you from freezing to death because of your own stupidity and never even mentions it again? What kind of man puts you through college and tells you not to tell anyone? What kind of man throws himself in front of machine gun fire for someone he loves without blinking?"

The room grew quiet, Emily wiped her eyes and looked at the podium.

"The same man who threatens a 16 year old boy with castration if it.." She brought her hands up to her hips and struck a Bosco pose, thickening her accent to his with a raise of her eyebrows "'so much as looks like your thinkin' about touchin' my Emily. Ahh.. Ahh.. See your thinkin' about it!'" She gestured from her eyes to the crowd. "I'm watchin' you! You little jag off!"

The crowd laughed, Bosco blushed.

"I didn't date much in high school." She said flatly.

"Anyway Uncle Bosco, you know I love you. The NYPD let go of a good one today." He'd already gotten up, she met him half way with a hug. He kissed her forehead before she made her way back to the podium, still wiping the tears from her eyes.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, to introduce the guest of honor: A person strong enough to spend eight hours a day with Bosco and live to tell about it. The only person who can say she knows' him better than anyone including himself. My mom, Detective Faith Miller."

_Oh but I  
Need some time off from that emotion  
Time to pick my heart up off the floor  
And when that love comes down  
Without devotion _

She took a deep breath, picking up the note cards and standing slowly, rolling her eyes slightly at the song that blared from the speakers as she walked towards the stage.

_Well it takes a strong man baby  
But I'm showing you the door_

_cause I gotta have faith..._

_Ooo! I gotta have faith.._

_I gotta have faith a faith a faith…_

_Baby_

_  
I know you're asking me to stay  
Say please, please, please, don't go away  
You say I'm giving you the blues  
Maybe  
You mean every word you say  
Cant help but think of yesterday…._

"George Michael.. Nice.. Who thought of that?" She muttered into the microphone. "My daughter? Real original. Boz you might wanna call BC and get your money back." Emily stuck her tongue out at her mother. "Seriously though can you believe the job this kid did. Honestly she's amazing!" The audience clapped, Faith's smile faded, as she glanced across the stage to her partner. "Well.. Here goes nothing huh?" He flashed her a quick grin.

"Jerry I've never even met you and I know already that Bosco hated you! I bet he'd have jumped in front of machine guns just to get you to shut the hell up! Where the hell'd you get that accent anyway? Deliverance? Christ it's a miracle he lasted this long with Gomer Pile having his back!

And Sully honestly.. Can you still see your feet? I heard you were fishing, shit did you eat the boat? God, do some sit up's you fat bastard."

She shook her head. He blew a kiss at her.

"Sully went to the doctor cause he thought he had a boil on his ass turns out it was Davis." The crowd laughed, Ty hid his eyes. "We were wondering what the hell happened to him. I mean honestly look at them people used to talk about me and Boz but they're practically in the same damn chair!" She squinted her eyes at the two of them. "Oh God Ty I'm sorry I didn't realize you were trapped under there. You should wave your arms or something. Jeez Sul your gonna suffocate him."

"And Emmy.. She said Bosco was my favorite and I have to admit he probably was. He was the only one who did what I told him to do. He wasn't out running around in skimpy skirts with hoodlum teenage boys- well there was that one time but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone.."

She shot her partner an million dollar grin, He pressed his finger to his mouth and shushed her satirically.

"Anyway.. Bosco was.. Is.. My partner.. We spent thirteen years in 55-David. I've spent more time alone with him then either of my husbands, either of my children, and probably anyone I've known in my life. I can say that I have complete and total trust in him. I don't know that many people can say that about someone else. I know Boz has my back. I know he has my children's backs… I didn't know he was putting them through school but-." She choked out a sob. "It doesn't surprise me. By the was Boz you should probably start investing I hear that tuition prices are supposed to rise forty percent in the next eighteen years." She raised her eyebrows in mock apology gesturing to her rounded body. She used the laugher to wipe her face. "I.. I don't know if I could ever stand up here and explain to you Maurice Boscorelli." She shook her head slowly. "Even if I stood here all night you'd never understand who he is. Who he is to me…" She let her eyes drift over to him. "With out Bosco, I would have never made it through the police academy. It's kind of ironic that he's planned for my kids future cause with out him I wouldn't have had one. Lot's of people say 'I'd die for you.' Lots of cops would say they'd gladly take a bullet for a civilian, or even more so their partner. It's easier to say when your sporting Kevlar and a nine mill." She took a slow calming breath. "But Bosco didn't think. He didn't hesitate. He didn't flinch. He just acted. He just… saved me." The room was silent. "So much for bringing the funny." She snickered, wiping her eyes. Sully was the one who started the clapping. She knew that. What was more surprising was that Fred was the first to stand. She took the first moment of silence to whisper calmly into the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, my partner, Maurice Boscorelli."

_Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah  
Some call me the gangster of love  
Some people call me Maurice  
Cause I speak of the pompitous of love_

_People talk about me, baby (People talk about me, baby)_

Bosco's arms were around her before she had a chance to even look in his direction. She let herself melt into him, grasping at his solidness. He held her tight against him. Her ragged frightened breath sounded in his ears. He knew she was back there. He knew because he recognized what it felt like to be in that place

_They say I'm doin' you wrong, (doin' you wrong)  
Well, don't let that worry you worry baby (oh baby ...)  
Cause I'm right here, right here, right here, right here at home  
(Everybody Singing Along)_

"Shh.. Shh.. I'm right here. I'm okay. We're okay Faith." He cooed to her like she was a child waking from a nightmare. He knew how hard it was for her to talk about it. How hard it was for her to think about that day. She nodded into him and he pulled her back and kissed her forehead lightly, turning his lips to his ear. "It wasn't just your life I was saving that day, it was my whole world." He took her face in his and nodded, wiping her eyes with his thumbs. "Do you know what I'm saying?"

She nodded her head slowly looking into his blue eyes like they held all the words she ever needed. She pulled away slowly and he held her hand until she'd almost reached the chair beside Emily on the stage.

Cause I'm a picker  
I'm a grinner  
I'm a lover  
And I'm a sinner  
I play my music in the sun

He watched the young woman loop her arms around her mothers neck and hold her close. Only when he was sure she wasn't about to fall apart did he turn back to the audience.

"Just for the record Sigel, If someone ever held a gun up to me again I'd hold you up like armor. Never mind I'd use Sully, better coverage, and I'd have Ty there to help me prop him up.

But hey… we got it.. Jerry's a useless fag, Sully's fat, Ty's a lapdog, Emily's a troublemaker and Faith..

We'll shit, Faith's perfect, but hey.. This nights about me so.. Thanks every one." He smiled down at the crowd, both hands clutching at the podium. People were hugging him and shaking his hand, somewhere in the mob he lost track of her.

He grabbed at Emily's arm, pulling her back over.

"Where's your mom?"

"She went to the ladies room."

"She okay?" His eyebrow rose at her as he gave her his best don't lie to me look.

"She needed a minute." Emily nodded, her eyes wide and unyielding. Just like her mother's. "She'll be alright Bosco." He pulled her over to him and kissed the top of her head.

"You were.. You're the best. I love you, Em."

"I love you too." She tossed her arms around him. "You need to _tell_ **her**."

He nodded, letting her pull away.

"Everything Bosco.. You need to tell her everything.."

Emily walked off of the stage and over to where Charlie now stood by his father, waiting to congratulate her. His eyes scanned the room, settling on the bathroom doors.

He met her half way when she emerged, reaching out a hand to her. She took it, letting him weave their fingers together and make it to the table. He pulled out the chair next to him and Emily, kissing his mother on the cheek as he dropped into his own.

"You look so pretty Faith." Rose announced. "I never looked that pretty when I was pregnant."

"I feel like a house." She sighed with a smile.

"Faith's always pretty, Ma." Bosco said giving her a silly wink. She smiled at him, shaking away the blush on her cheeks.

"Let's eat I'm starving!" Sully announced, sending the table into a fit of giggles.

"Seriously? Did you hear nothing up there?" Ty whined.

"Yeah.. That you spend to much time on my ass. I'm gonna start calling you Faith." Sully growled. Ty shook his head.

Bosco found her hand under the table and squeezed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Ty Davis may have understood the _Post 55 Faith Yokas-Mitchell-Miller-What ever-'s_ feelings for Bosco better than anyone else in the room. He'd been at both of her most life changing events since then.

The first though? The first would be forever ingrained in his mind. He'd been called to the scene of an officer down. A female Detective had been beaten, probably raped and her partner had requested him personally.

He knew it was Faith, he'd be kidding himself if he didn't admit that. He was the only one left from the old 55 that would be of any use to her. He took a deep breath and got out of the car, surprised to see Carlos leaning against the rig.

"Hey." He called to his old roommate. "They call you too?"

"She's in bad shape." Carlos whispered, watching Holly hover over Faith. That's when he heard her.

"Oh God! Oh God!"

Davis had heard that sound before, in a hospital over a year ago. He moved towards her.

"Faith?"

"Ty! Bosco where's.. Christ Ty is he still in there?" She turned her body frantically back towards the building.

"No.. Faith.. Bosco's fine. He's not here remember? He's not-." He took her hand in his, touching it gently as reality began to sink in. "It's okay Faith. You're gonna be okay."

"I need him.." She cried out suddenly. "Please Ty.. Please.. I need him." Ty looked at her loosely. His mind tried to pretend she meant Miller. She pulled at his sleeve bringing her back to her bruised and bloody face. "Call Boz.. Tell him I need him. Call-" Her voice trailed off as Holly slapped an oxygen mask over her face. "Bosco." She whispered in a little lost voice, her hand falling gracelessly from Ty's as they loaded her into the ambulance. HE stumbled back towards Carlos.

"She just kept calling for him…" The medic shook his head slowly. Ty nodded swallowing hard as Carlos clapped his arm before making his way to the drivers seat.

Miller showed up from the 7-9 just as they drove off . Davis though about how Bosco would have made it all the way from cross town by now if he'd have called him when she told him to.

"Where is she?" He yells. Ty pointed towards the ambulance and he shook his head. "Was she talking? Did she say anything?"

Davis opened his mouth but no sound comes out. _Yeah Miller… she was crying for Boz and beggin' me to call him.. _He patted his arm like Carlos did and trots back to his car.

Ty flipped open my phone and hit speed dial three.

"What do you want?" The only man he'd ever really think of as his partner answered gruffly. "Davis? Someone better be-. Shit, is someone dead?"

"Faith got beat up, rapped maybe." Ty exhaled. "She's beggin me to call Bosco.."

"Where's Miller?"

"He just took off for the hospital. Jeez Sul, she was begging."

"You wanna be the one to tell Bosco that Faith-?" He huffs, not able to say the word. "It's not your place Ty."

"She.." Davis let his head bob down towards the sidewalk. "It's Faith.."

"Ty could almost hear Sully's mind reeling, going back slowly through the drama that was Faith and Bosco.

"I'll call him." Sully told him softly.

"Thanks man."

He'd been there when Bosco charged through the door into the hospital, practically knocking Miller out of the way to look at her.

"Shit." He'd muttered softly. His eyes sweeping over her unconscious form, taking her hand slowly in his.

Her husband had backed out of the room, like the intimate moment was too much for him.

Davis wondered why he hadn't objected, but he knew he probably knew that Faith needed Bosco to be there as much as Bosco needed to be there.

He'd touched her gently, stroking her face until she woke up. She cried when she saw him, pushing over to the edge of the bed and nuzzling into his chest. He rubbed her back as she sobbed out her story. Davis stood memorized in the door unable to look away until Faith had fallen back asleep and Bosco had left the room.

"Here's.. everything you need.." He handed Ty his notebook nodding his head. "Catch this Jagoff.. Huh?"

Bosco moved away from him, nodding at John before making his way out the door.

In the end, no one had been surprised when Bosco had been the one who got the guy. Or how when they'd found the bloody nosed suspect handcuffed to a drainage pipe, while the officer himself was pacing the lobby, breathing deeply, his hands clenching into fists in an attempt not to kill him.

Davis had also got the call to her accident, Ty knew Miller was dead before anyone, before Faith even. She was already being taken care of when he got there.

"This is the guy that knows her." The fire fighter announced unceremoniously.

"You _Buz_?" The responding officer asked him frankly. Davis shook his head. "She was asking for someone named _Buz." _He chucked his finger towards Miller as they zipped up the body bag. "Hope for her sake that wasn't him."

He'd learned from his experience with women-Okay so he'd learned from Sasha, but he would never tell her that-that the fear reaction is primal. Panic trumps responsiblity. Those were her lowest moments, her most truest moments.

And she'd wanted Bosco.

* * *

Now, watching them across the table he wondered if this was it? Was this when Bosco finally got the girl? Ty watched his eyes swept over here while she talked quietly to Sasha, she looked back at him with a little grin.

"It's nice.." Sully said quietly lifting his water glass up towards them. ".. you two together again."

Faith's eyes fluttered embarrassed under Bosco's sentimental grin.

"'S right." He nodded a quick nod, an Davis turned to his wife, raising his eyebrows at the way Boscorelli head had made the smallest motion in response.


	4. Chapter 4

Sully leaned back in his chair, running his hand over his expanding waistline watching his former colleagues get drunker and drunker. Faith shot him a commiserating smile, holding up her mineral water.

Him and the pregnant lady, the last of the sober.

Not entirely though, he'd realized a while ago that Bosco had stopped the continuous supply of whiskey to his lips, lazily nursing the same glass for over an hour now. His eyes were too busy drinking in the woman beside him.

Putting to memory each curl of her eyelashes, each wrinkle of her smile like he never knew when he'd see her again. Cause he didn't, Sully thought sadly to himself.

* * *

He'd known something was up with Bosco when he'd unceremoniously invited himself to the cabin under the farce of fishing. He'd known it was bad when he'd arrived with a half hearted attempt at fishing gear and a six pack of root beer.

"How's Faith?" He'd wagered a guess later that morning, casting back his rod and watching the bobber hit the water.

"You'd know better than me." Bosco whispered, starring blankly into the lake.

"So is that what this is about or is it something else?"

"What're you talking about?" He huffed defensively dropping back into his lawn chair. "Maybe I wanted to check out retirement. See if it's all it's cracked up to be."

"Look, Bosco I didn't cal you." Sully had muttered reeling the lure back and setting the pole beside him before opening the soda. "I figured it was Faith, otherwise you'd have called Faith. So..?"

"I can't tell Faith." He exhaled slowly. "The last thing she needs right now-.."

Bosco's face tensed and he dropped his gaze to the ground.

"You got the guy Bosco.."

"Yeah." He looked out on the water again. "That doesn't un-break her nose or un-puncture her lung. Or undo what that Bastard did to her."

"She's okay now Bosco. The physical stuff's healed. And the rest.. Faith's strong, she'll get through it."

"Yeah."

"Her and Miller doing alright?"

"How the hell do I know?"

"Look you're the one who wanted to tal-."

"Not about Faith!"

"Then what?"

"I can't see!" The words were out of his mouth and laying in between us for a long time before I registered them.

"What?"

"I.. " He rubbed his face. "It's getting worse. The panic attacks are back.."

"Bosco-."

"I'm taking the disability this time. I'm done in six months."

Sully had just starred at him.

"They're going to let me take early retirement. Give me some crappy interdepartmental liaison job until I'm ready. "

"Man.."

"I.. I talked to them on Friday morning. Thursday was my last day on the street. I didn't know where else to go. I can't-. Faith doesn't need this right now."

Sully nodded silently in agreement before picking the rod back up and casting it out again.

"When you say you can't see..?"

"My eyes.. It started out just in the dark.. But now it's like I need more and more light.. They don't know how much longer I'll be able to see."

"Shit Bosco."

"More and more light…"

"How long?"

"Since the shooting." He muttered.

"Faith was right?" Sully wrinkled his face at him.

"I didn't cheat." He breathed. "I could always work through it but now-. I had a panic attack on the job."

"Shit." He remembered Bosco's panic attack in the street.

"Scared the shit out of Jerry, he couldn't get me out of it."

Sully thought of her on her knees, Bosco's head in her lap, her calm words.

"I can't believe you took it."

"I… it was time." He nodded. "I got the bastard that hurt Faith and it was time."

Sully nodded, leaning over the side of the chair and grabbing his cell phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Davis." He nodded towards Bosco's root beer. "You need something stronger than that, and I since I don't see us catching anything? I need a pizza."

* * *

"Blind as in blind?" Davis whispered loudly looking over to where his wife and Bosco were pulling out plates for the pizza.

"Davis shut up he'll hear you." Sully moaned pushing his former partner from the Davis' living room into the hall.

"We gotta call Faith." Ty exhaled slowly shaking his head with wide eyes.

"Are you crazy?" Sully moaned.

"No.. Sul.. We gotta call-." He tried to move past him into the living room.

"He's fine now. This isn't something that needs to be delt with right now. He'll tell her when he's ready. Let's give him some time."

"I don't want to be around when she finds out we knew and didn't-." The sound of his pager shook him out of his reverie.

"You on call?"

"Yeah.." He frowned at the little thing, moving into the living room flipping it over to read the screen. "Only for mass-caus and department-. Shit. MVA with cops involved."

"Where?" Bosco muttered in alarm.

"Bosco stay calm." Ty muttered raising his palm towards him.

"7-9?" His tone was frantic, Davis nodded at him. "I'm going with you."

"No." Ty put up a hand. "There are over a hundred cops in that house Bosco. I'll call-."

Bosco was already on the phone.

"Faith it's me pick up." He was huffing into his cell. "Faith! Pick up the phone. Em? Em where's your mom?"

Sully turned back to watch the door close behind Ty.

He'd been the one to drive Bosco to Mercy. He'd been the one there when Em had busted through the door and into Bosco's arms. He'd been the one there with Bosco in the hall when Emily had whispered to her mom that John had been killed.

He'd been the only one who'd seen Bosco exhale slowly backing up towards the doors of the hospital, slipping out into the evening.

* * *

He looked at them now, the way he still had hold of her hand, swirling his thumb around her wrist.

"Bosco?" He leaned over Rose's empty seat.

"Sul?" Bosco smiled.

"Ask her to dance." He said softly gesturing his head towards Faith.

"Sully.." Bosco leaned back, dropping his head towards the ceiling.

"Ask her." He grinned. The younger man turned his head and smiled slightly at the woman beside him.

"What?" She breathed, tightening there grasp for a second.

"Nothing." He whispered breathlessly.


	5. Chapter 5

Faith had been joking softly with Sasha before she became acutely aware of Bosco's touch. The soft skin on her hand recognizing him. She relished it. Hell, in the last two and a half years she'd relished any thing with him.

To say things had been strained between them may have been the understatement of the century.

Things had been strained between them since Maritza Cruz. God how she'd hated that woman. Hated her because she didn't love Bosco, not really. Not like Faith wanted Bosco to be loved. Not like Faith thought Bosco should be loved. Not like Faith loved Bosco.

How Faith loved Bosco vacillated wildly. She was mother, teacher, sister, friend partner.. She was everything. Probably the one true thing he had.

She'd forgotten that when he showed up that night to confess about Sasha's shooting. She'd forgotten how to talk slowly to him. How to reason with him. How to make him feel like she would fix everything. What she should have said ran through her head for days, months maybe. She'd been too quick.

_I saved your life. _Echoed against her brain.

She should have gotten up off the couch then, drew him back down beside her and whispered that she'd help him. She'd find away to help him. She'd move heaven and earth to help him.

They'd find another way.

Instead she'd forgotten who it was. The thin layer of trust he still had in the world cracked beneath his feet and he stormed out the door.

"Boz.." She'd pleaded in the phone later on that night. "Bosco come back and let me help. We'll do this together, we'll get through this together. Bosco please don't do this. Don't shut me out."

But he had.

Then in a moment he'd pushed her out of his life. Just like that.

"I'm still here." She whispered to his voice mail, tears slipping furiously over her cheeks. "I know you're mad and I know you don't want me to be.. But I'm still here."

And he'd been there for her too. She'd requested him to her harder crime scenes, the ones that hit home, the ones that scared her, the ones that were just unstable enough to make her worry. She'd asked for him. She'd wanted him.

In reality the ice had melted long before he'd saved Emily for the third time in a few short years. By then it was a puddle at there feet that Bosco still stubbornly refused to cross, but he came when she called.

He came after the rape and stayed. Setting up camp in her life again, much to the dismay of a second husband that didn't understand. Who didn't realize he'd always be second fiddle to Maurice Boscorelli until after he'd already said _I do_.

She remembered Fred's calm smile, shaking his head slowly that Christmas when he'd come to drop off Charlie to find Faith and Boz, three sheets to the wind on Kentucky Bourbon. The two of them, legs tangled on the couch talking about _55-David_ like it was yesterday with Miller at the Kitchen table looking like an idiot in his own house.

She'd have never gotten past what happened to her with out Boz and that was that. Miller couldn't have understood if she'd drawn him a diagram. She'd realized that when he started pushing her for sex.

"John thinks we should be having sex." She'd whispered to him that night, curled beside him on the couch.

"He's willing to share?" Bosco had teased softly.

"I should be ready shouldn't I?" She asked him, tears seeping into her voice. "It's been six months."

"Faith…"

"I-." She moved closer to him pressing her cheek into his shoulder. He opened his arms and she scooted further in.

"You feel how you feel." Bosco's voice pulled with resentment. "He shouldn't be rushin you."

"He's a man and he wants to have sex with his wife." She sighed tilting her drawn up knees until they leaned against his thigh.

"What do you want?" He'd asked softly, her face turning until it was inches from his.

"I don't want him to touch me." She sniffed, her voice soft and breathy. "I don't want anyone to touch me."

"Okay." Bosco decided, in an ironic logic pulling her close to his body protectively. "Then no one touches you."

She had never admitted to anyone what went through her head the first and last time she and John had sex after the rape. The night the baby was conceived. The night the nightmares raged in her without needing sleep.

She hated herself for doing it. She hated John more for not knowing that, or not knowing that she'd crept out of bed to email Bosco after he'd fallen asleep.

She let that thought tumble out of her head now, feeling the strength of his hand n hers. The safety of him so close to her.

He raised his head and let it fall in response to whatever Sully had said to him before turning his gaze back to her.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	6. Chapter 6

"Dance with me?" Bosco announced suddenly to the woman sitting next to him.

She didn't miss the way Sully rolled his eyes.

"Wrong one, Dumbass." He hissed quietly, Emily Yokas snickered as she let Bosco pull her up from the chair. He laid his hands softly at her shoulders.

"Bosco.."

"Emily.."

"Tonight's the night."

"Say's who?"

"Me, Sully, Dad, Caroline and Charlie." She told him frankly.

"Jesus Emily any body you missed? You know Doherty and the bucket boys like to place bets if you wanted to-."

"Ty's got double or nothing that you'll chicken out, but Sully's firm in his conviction that it's tonight."

"As long as Sully's sure.." Bosco smirked. "You didn't tell me.." He said his tone a little more serious. "About the baby.."

"You didn't ask."

"Yeah Okay. So Em, how's Boston? Classes okay? Mom knocked up?"

" A _How's your mom? _would have worked Uncle B."

"I couldn't have done that."

"Why?"

"Cause she didn't call." He whispered softly. "Which meant she didn't want me there. And if you'd have said she wasn't alright-. Then I'd have come anyway. " He lifted his eyes back up to her and she smiled softly. "She didn't want me there."

"I don't think that's true." Emily said softly.

"You don't know her like I do."

"True. I know her like **I** do, and I know that she needed you there." She let her hands slip from their spot on his back until he was hugging her against him.

"I needed her to want me there." He told her, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "They're two different things Emily."

"Bosco.."

"She's always needed me. I need her to want me." He sighed. "In the best case scenario I'm asking her to sign up for a whole lot of difficult times. I need her to do that because she wants to be with me."

"Give her a chance to show you that she does." Emily pulled back and looked at him firmly. "Give her a chance."

"Emily we've talked about-

"You've talked about it." She interrupted gently. "And I'm telling you that your wrong for all the right reasons." He sighed out a breath as the song ended and she moved away. "I requested a song for you."

"Em.."

"Just go get her."

_Well, here we are again;  
I guess it must be fate. _

Bosco took a deep breath squeezing Emily's shoulder as he walked towards Faith and outstretched his hand. She smiled shyly at him before slipping into his arms and out onto the dance floor.

We've tried it on our own,  
But deep inside we've known  
We'd be back to set things straight.

"Impressive kid." Sully whispered as she sunk back into her chair.

"I do what I can."

"Where you been for the last fifteen years?"

"I was a kid!" She rolled her eyes.

"Excuses, excuses."

_I still remember when  
Your kiss was so brand new.  
Every memory repeats,  
Every step I take retreats,  
Every journey always brings me back to you._

_  
_  
"Oohh.. Peter Cetera.. Nice touch." 

"I'm working it."


	7. Chapter 7

_After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels whove been rescued from the fall.  
After all that weve been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess its meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all.  
_

A slight smile came to his lips when he saw Bosco pull Faith out onto the dance floor.

"There you go Casanova, it's about time." He whispered slightly, shooting a small grin and Caroline who followed his gaze across the room. "Let's go Boscorelli, tonight's the night."

He wanted Faith to be happy, he honestly did. God knows he'd been a crappy husband. If he'd really been a man he'd a have let her go the day she met Maurice Boscorelli and found the other half of her soul.

They didn't just make a damn good cop, they made a damn good couple. There was no way around it.

He'd tried that Christmas to educate John Miller in the futility of a 'Non-Bosco' trying to love Faith. It wouldn't work. I never had. He had tried and failed at it before she'd even known that Bosco existed. He brought something out in her. Something more real than anything she'd been before she'd known him.

It was that girl that Fred had wanted to be married to. Bosco's Faith. The one part of her he could never have. The part that was already taken.

He'd pitied Miller really. He didn't understand what or why Faith had done what she'd done. Her intense need to be coupled had clashed with her fear of being with Bosco. He rejected her, she clung to the first man who didn't. He'd been that first man enough to know it sucked.

"You are fighting a loosing battle my friend." Fred murmured to John Miller as he handed the kids gifts to him at the curb.

"They're friends." John snipped. "I allow my wife to have friends. It's one of the differences between us."

"They ain't friends." Fred snickered. "They defiantly ain't friends."

"Faith takes marriage seriously. You know that." He turned on the steps and shook his head at the other man. "She never slept with Bosco while she was with you. She'll never sleep with-."

"It ain't about sex, Miller." Fred smirked shaking his head. "Don't you get it? It's more then sex, it's bigger than friendship." John started to speak when Fred's hand shot up to stop him. "He gets her shot. Shot on the job, his fault-all of it- ask him he'll tell you. They're wheeling her in to the OR and guess who's name she's calling out? Bosco.." He snorted. "She wakes up, she wants to see Bosco. I throw the guy through a plate glass window and the next words out of his mouth are 'I need to see her' She tells him to get out and he eats, sleeps, and breaths in their damn RMP in front of my house for weeks. I catch her starrin' out the window worrin' about him."

Miller had stood there dumbfounded.

"It's always Bosco." Fred started up the steps with the second bag of gifts. "You tell me, who'd she call for after her attack? Who's name was she whisperin' when she woke up?" Miller looked away. "You're fighting a loosing battle my friend. You should bow out now. Tell um to go for it, they deserve each other."

"Screw you Yokas. I'm not giving up on my marriage." He'd huffed lugging the crap the rest of the way up the steps.

He hadn't understood why Faith and Boz didn't jump each other the moment he regained concousness in that damn hospital. He looked across the room at his daughter who nodded, the smile spreading across her lips. He nodded back, feeling Caroline wrap her hand tighter in his.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: This chapter came a little fast for me. But rest assure the backstory will reveal it's not out of the blue like it seems.. So here you go.

* * *

He didn't ask, he just took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She smiled at him and he pulled her closer, cupping the back of her neck in his palm.

_When love is truly right  
(this time its truly right.)  
It lives from year to year.  
It changes as it goes,  
Oh, and on the way it grows,  
But it never disappears_

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"What you said up there."

"I meant what I said up there." She pulled back to look at his face, he starred over her shoulder. "I meant it." He turned slightly towards her, the corner of his eye catching hers as he did. "With out you I'm a stay at home Mom in a crappy marriage and a two bedroom apartment." She pressed her chin into his shoulder. "You saved me."

"I saved you?" He whispered sarcastically, the slow shake of his head pressing her deeper into the crook of his neck. "With out you… I'm nothing."

"That's not true."

"Faith. I may not know a lot of things, but I know who I am with out you and I can't say I'm proud of that person."

"I'm proud of him." She muttered, closing her eyes and tuning her face towards his neck. "I'm very proud of him."

_After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall.  
After all that we've been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess its meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all._

"I miss you, Faith."

"I didn't go anywhere, Boz." Her voice was almost a plea. "I've been right here."

"Have you?" He asked gently, closing his eyes and leaning into her hair.

"Haven't I?" Her grip on him tightened.

"You disappeared on me a little." He sniffed in an attempt at humor. "I didn't even know you were pregnant Faith. Honestly I e-mail you like ten times a day.."

"You e-mail me at two in the morning."

"Yeah.."

"Bosco?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She pulled back now, in an attempt to meet his eyes. His remained closed. "Boz look at me." He opened them to the floor slowly, letting them focus on the way to her face. "What's-?"

"I loved you, ya know." He whispered boldly. "You were my entire reality. You, 55David, and me; it was all I needed. I knew none of that was enough for you though Faith. You were better than that. I was holding you back."

He stiffened in surprise when her kiss tentatively brushed his face just below the scar, slowly bringing his fingers up and tracing the line of her jaw, running along her lips slowly.

_  
Always just beyond my touch,  
You know I needed you so much.  
After all, what else is livin' for?_

"Faith.." He almost pleaded pulling back just enough for his words to get heard. "What's..? What are we..?"

"You never held me back." His breath caught as hers tickled his lower lip as she spoke. "I.. ." He pressed against her harder then, pushing his hand up into her hair as he did.

"You think you were the only one who wanted to stay in that car?" Her voice caught as she pulled back, he pressed his forehead into hers. "I didn't' want to leave you Bosco. I just don't understand why you keep pushing me away."

_After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall.  
After all that we've been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess its meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all.  
_

"Faith." It was a low moan at best slipping out of his lips as "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk." She murmered tilting her chin up until her lips were even with his. His own mouth swipped at them before he'd even realized what he'd done. She moved her mouth on his softly at first, then with more force. "No more talking. I want you Boz."

He groaned against her almost loosing it right there. He stopped himself bringing his lips to her neck and planting soft hot kisses there.

"Lots more talking." He breathed, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Um.. Guys?" Emily's voice startled them away from each other. "As happy as I am to see you two are… talking? This is kind of a crowded place don't you think?"

"Smart girl." Faith muttered in embarrassment looking down at the floor.

"She gets that from you." Bosco quipped pulling himself up to his full height and stepping back.

"Here." Emily handed her mother the keys. "Sully says he'll take us home." Their heads turned in sic towards to Sully, leaned up against the table holding his glass up to them in mock salute. Bosco's eyes slammed shut as he winced in embarrassment. Faith fought back a grin, letting her eyes fall on the floor

_.After all the stops and starts,  
We keep coming back to these two hearts,  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall.  
After all that we've been through,  
It all comes down to me and you.  
I guess its meant to be,  
Forever you and me, after all.  
_

"Good night, Baby." Faith kissed her daughters cheek before Bosco pulled her over to him and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Good job up there tonight, Funny Girl."

He turned towards Faith, setting his hand on her back as he lead her away.

"I won't wait up!" She called after them, watching Bosco's shoulders shake as her mother turned to glare at her.

_Forever you and me,_

_after all.  
_


	9. Chapter 9

"Faith?" He moved his hand across her cheek brushing back the hair back over her shoulder. "We're here."

"Humm?"

"Come on, Sweetie."

"I fell asleep?" She asked incredulously.

"It's late." He laughed softly.

"This is important." She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes. So important it'll wait." He unbuckled her seat belt and walked around to her door. She still sat there dumbstruck. He took her hand and helped pull her to her feet.

"I don't want it to wait."

"You're not sleeping well."

"You been talking to Emily about-?"

"Faith. I don't have to talk to Emily, I'm lookin' at you." He sighed.

"I don't want to-." He pressed his lips to hers to silence her, feeling her hands snake up to his neck.

"We have time." He whispered from her lips. "I'm unemployed now, remember? I have nothing but time."

"Boz I-."

"Quit arguing." He took her hand and led her up the stairs through his apartment and into his bedroom.

He turned her around, slowly pulling the zipper of her black dress down from her neck to her hips. She turned her face towards him watching him run his tongue across his lips. He felt her gaze drawing his eyes up to her as his hands raised and pulled the clips from her hair, letting the small parts that had been pulled up on the side fall down around his fingers.

He turned her around, slowly pressing her down to the bed, kneeling before her and unbuckling her shoes. Softly moving his hand over her calf. He lifted his eyes to her face, smiling slightly at her heaving chest and wide eyes.

He stood up slowly and kissed the top of her head, before moving to his dresser and pulling out a long beige cotton shirt and turning to her.

"Put this on." He told her gently, moving towards the door. "I'll be back."

Bosco let the door close behind him, leaning back against it and taking it a deep breath.

"Easy Bos." He whispered to himself. "Easy." He waited a few more minutes before wrapping his knuckles on the door. "Hey." He called softly as she pulled it open, a small grin coming to his face as he saw her standing there. His hand when back to her stomach like it was magnetic. "It's a good look for you."

"You wanted to talk." She breathed, he rolled his eyes a little.

"Faith you're tired-."

"Bosco, I think we've put this off long enough don't you?" He pressed his lips together, before nodding slowly. She covered his hand with hers, before lifting it gently and pulling him into the bedroom.

She drug him to the bed he dropped down next to her.

"Faith.." He pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"Why'd you quit?"

"What?"

"That's what this is about right?" She asked slowly. "It's about-."

"It's about everything Faith." He smiled sadly. "It's about Cruz and Noble and Mann. It's about how I went off on you and pulled away and how you kissed me and then married Miller." He stopped talking, trying to still his rapid intake a breath. "You married Miller."

She opened her mouth, closing it slowly before dropping her head. Bosco pulled her chin back up.

"Faith?"

"I.."

"I mean it. I get it he's safe. He's a detective." Bosco shook his head at her, smiling sweetly. "I'm just-."

"Stop it! Don't-." She pressed her head into his chest.

"He could be your equal, give you more stability and-." He pressed his chin against her head until it jerked up again.

"Don't-." She begged, bringing her lips to his. "Don't say that Bosco. Don't pretend like we weren't equals." She pressed her mouth to his again. . "We're partners Bosco." He turned his cheek gently, pressing his lips to her ear

"Faith.. I can't think when you.."

"Then stop thinking."

"Faith.." He whispered again pulling back from her. "Yokas come on.." He laughed a little dropping his gaze from her.

She halted when he said her former last name, the familiarness of it struck her. The sound of the word coming off his lips, in mild amsument mixed with uncertainty. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch upward, reaching up to wipe away the lipstick smeared below his jaw.

Then flinched in surprise and she held perfectly still, studying the way his hands moved against her leg in slow short soothing strokes. It's when she realized it wasn't to comfort but to be comforted. She squeezed his hand for a second before pulling back to reach over and tentatively flip the light on.

He pressed his eyes shut and her hand came back to shield them, slowly moving away as he blinked the room in to focus.

"Better..?" She said breathlessly. He looked at her intensely, giving her a slight nod that anyone else would have missed completely. She let him sit silently for a moment, her free thumb still caressing the long gone spot on his cheek. A hundred sentences moved between them before she tilted her head in attempt to fend off his heartbreaking stare. "It's okay, Boz."

"Who told you?" He asked finally as she watched his eyes well up.

"You did." She said softly, feeling the weight of his head against her hand as he leaned in to her.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't." He sniffed, lifting his eyes to her face.

"I.." She stopped, taking a slow deep breath. "The same way I knew the frist time. I know every look." She grinned at him softly. "I know my partner."

"I didn't cheat."

"I know that Bosco."

"I just got really good at it Faith. I practiced until I remembered what it felt like. Until I could figure out new ways.." He stopped for a breath. "Some days were better than others." She nodded slowly. "Then Jerry and I were at the range and I.." Bosco flopped back against the pillows of the bed. "I fired a shot and I had no idea where.. and then I hear this thud and Jerry's yelling and.."

"Boz." Faith eased down next to him, running her hands through his hair.

"He dorpped the damn rifle case Faith. On his foot he dropped the damn.." She pulled at his arm until he turned his body into hers. "I'm thinkin' I shot my partner and he's-." He laughed bitterely and she kissed his forehead. "It was the first time I had a panic attack in public since.." He stopped when her hand smoothed onto his cheek and down his neck. She pressed her forehead to his. "That's when it started to hit me. That's when I started to think that maybe it was time."

"There's got to be something-."

"Nothing."

"Boz-."

"Faith if I can still see anything two years from now I'll be lucky."

Her face betrayed her for a second and he felt his lip start to tremble, biting it hard. She shook her head, pressing her thumb against his mouth and replacing it with her kiss as his teeth dropped away.

"Bosco, it's okay. It's alright to be upset. To be angry." He shook his head dramatically at her words.

"Then what?" She breathed, sniffing back tears of her own.

"I'm scared Faith."

She felt it surge in her, the fierce protectivness that was reserved for Bosco and the kids alone. It had been a long time, years even, but it still rushed through her with the same sense of purpose. She calmly took his face in her hands and waited until he brought his eyes to hers.

"It's okay." She whispered sweetly. "I'm here. You're not alone. I'm right here."

She felt him shudder with her words, inching his body closer until the space betwen them was nearly nonexistant. She stroked his back, pushing the tension away from his shoulders; kissing the side of his face, and tracing his lips with her fingertips.

"I love you Faith. I need you."

"You have me." She promised slowly bringing her lips to his. "You have me."


	10. Chapter 10

He woke up alone in bed in the brightly lit room, moving his head deeper into the blankets. He didn't blame her. He'd have left him too. She was a god damn detective an he was blind beat cop who couldn't-.

"Hey." He turned towards the window. She was there, her legs dangling over the edge of the chair her face back lit from the window.

"You're still here." He whispered softly. The soft smile slipped from her features as she slipped onto the bed beside him, tugging at the pillow until he lifted his head and she slid her thighs beneath it. He turned his head towards her round stomach, pressing his lips softly against it.

"Cruz hurt me." She said softly. "You chose her over me and it hurt me."

"I'd never chose anyone over you." He shook his head slowly. "I didn't know that's what I was doing Faith."

"I think that just made it worse." She sniffed, he brought his hand slowly to her face letting his hand drop down her arm. "It was like she had this pull."

"No." He said softly. "I went to anti-crime for us. I thought it was what you wanted. By the time you told me it wasn't-."

"It was too late?"

"You failed that test for me Faith."

"Boz-."

"You knew it Faith. I know you knew it."

"It was an emotional-."

"-time. Yeah I remember. Back then it was new. Now it's your average Saturday afternoon." He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. Faith dropped her hands onto his back. "Get up, go to work, fend off a panic attack go home."

"Don't pull away from me." She watched his head drop forward, scooting closer to him wrapping her arms firmly around him. "Please." He dropped her head back onto her shoulder and she turned into him.

"She's dead Faith. She's been dead for two years." He mumbled. "An I know you don't wanna hear it but she wasn't all evil-."

"I know that." Faith interrupted pulling back slightly. "She saved my ass with Mann and I-." She pressed her head against his back. "It just hurt me."

"I know." He sighed.

"Is that what it felt like for you? When I went home to Fred?"

"No." He said too quickly, before slowly lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it. "Sometimes."

He laid back on the bed, still facing away from her.

"Boz please look at me.." Her voice was soft and sad, he rolled onto his back and blinked up at her.

"When Cruz.. When you got shot.."

"I didn't choose him. You have to know that Bosco. Not really."

"Faith.." He moaned shaking his head in disbelief.

"I chose what I thought was best for me. For the kids. For both of us." She shook her head. "You couldn't have taken care of me Bosco, seriously.."

"I told you the truth Faith. The unspoken truth that rattled around us in that RMP for years. I spoke it and you-."

" And I did what I thought was best!" She yelled.

"I told you I loved you and you told me to leave." His lip trembled and he bit it until it stopped, lifting his arm to res on his forehead, focusing on the steady pressure. "That was what you thought was best?"

"You told me you loved me cause you thought I was bleeding to death right in front of you." She said calmly looking away from his haunted face. "You needed an out and I gave you one."

"You know that's not true." He whispered. "You know it.."

"What did you think?" She asked him honestly. "I was going to wake up paralyzed, leave my husband, and wheel away with you?"

"I didn't expect you to order me out of your life and cling to Fred like he'd been husband of the year." He rolled back on his side. "Why are we doing this?"

"To get things out." She sighed leaning back against the pillows beside him.

"Maybe I don't want them out." He sniffed ignoring the burning in his chest.

"I love you Bosco. I have for almost sixteen years." She whispered, his head jerked back towards her. "We've gotta get this right."

He turned the rest of the around, kissing the side of her face and brushing back the hair from her forehead.

"It was the scariest moment of my entire life Faith. On the floor of the hotel room." She scooted closer to him, feeling his top arm slip across her stomach. "You laying there- all that blood.."

"I remember it. All of it. You trying to stop the bleeding, calling for help."

"You just kept saying my name. Over and over.." He swallowed hard and she rolled to face him. His face was pale, she brought her thumb up to the small beads of sweat on his brow.

Jesus.. Faith Please.. Hold on.. Just hold on. I need you, Faith I need you to hold on.

Her eyes had swam in front of him, slowly whispering his damn name until he had leaned forward brushing his lips against her face.

I love you. Please don't leave me Faith I love you.

She felt the way his grip on her intensified now, he clutched at her back squeezing his eyes shut.

"Boz. Open your eyes." She ordered firmly, her hands coming to his cheeks. "I'm alright. It's alright." He fought them open, tears spilling out onto her fingers. She brought her mouth to his, stopping the sudden quickening of breath with her kiss. "It's okay." She pressed their foreheads together, trying to will his body back to calm with her own slow breaths. "No more today. No more."

"I love you." He choked out in a whisper. "I don't care about it. Any of it. I love you."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"No it's not."

"I can handle it Faith I really can. It's just certain images.." He kissed her one more time before slipping off the bed and opening the drawer of his dresser to retrieve two bottles of pills. He caught her curious gaze. "Amitriptyline for the headaches and Klonopin for the anxiety attacks." He told her tossing one of each into his mouth. "It'll-."

"Headaches?"

"It's part of the whole." He flipped his hand in front of his face a few times. "Post brain trauma syndrome thing.."

"How longs this been-?"

"Somewhere between shooting Sasha and telling you to stay out of my business." He snorted running his hands over his face.

"I should have been there for you." She whispered.

"You were." He told her quickly, waiting for her to look up before nodding. "You were."

All those nights flashed before her eyes. All the emails, and IM's, all the random stops by her precinct on ordinary days..

"Bosco."

"It's.." He grinned slowly before dropping back onto the bed. She moved towards him, encircling him in her arms. Never in 16 years had she touched him as much as she had in the last 24 hours. "You're sure you know what your getting into here?" He chuckled weakly. "You can still get out if you.."

"Shut up and hold me." She muttered, kissing his forehead as his arms weaved around hers pulling her down until they were flat on the bed. She kissed his temple. "Don't let go this time."

"Kay." Bosco inhaled deeply, letting his eyes shut as the smell of her hair swept over him. "Okay."


	11. Chapter 11

"All I'm saying is you knew I what I wanted." He muttered pulling off the packet of baby t-shirts from the hook and holding them up to her.

She nodded, and he tossed them into the cart.

"I knew what you wanted? It hadn't been that long since you kicked me out of your life." She leaned past him and grabbed a package of washcloths. "I had know idea what you wanted anymore."

He snorted, fingering the collection of fleece blankets.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Making out with you in the room with the dead guy? That didn't tip you off?"

"Making out with-." She rolled her eyes. "That better not be your idea of makin' out or we're gonna have problems."

"You failed to communicate any problems this morning." He said cheekily, turning his face to look at hers. She closed her eyes briefly, leaning her head against his. "Or last night. Or the night before-."

"You so don't deserve to have sex with me." She breathed, feeling his kiss brush her lips.

"Something we agree on." He muttered, holding up a frilly pink fleece. "This too."

"Bosco.." She grinned, her fingers feeling the soft lace. "It's pretty."

"Perfect for a princess." He smiled happily, regaurding her belly like he was looking at a person as he dropped it into the cart.

"Where were we? Ah yes! You marrying John Miller in the wake of our first real kiss which you by the way initiated, Partner." He smirked at her. She put her hands on her hips.

"You freaked out." She accused.

"I did not." He said indignantly.

"You didn't call. For two days." She poked her finger in the air like it proved something.

"I was giving you space." He shrugged.

"I didn't want space." She pouted, twisting her face up into a grimace.

"I didn't know that." He raised his hands in surrender.

"You should have."

"So you marry some guy?"

"Yes." She moaned. "Look Bosco like it or not I was living with the guy."

"I'll take '_or not'_."

"I kiss you, you bail, I freak, he asks."

"_He asks_?" Bosco laughed. "Is that all it takes?"

"We weren't on good terms Bosco."

"_He_ _asks_." He scoffed shaking his head back and forth.

"Maybe I thought it if you really wanted me then you'd I don't know… fight for me.."

"What?"

"You never did. Not once. Not with Fred. You always told me to go back to him. Make my marriage work.." She watched him for a second, fingering the long forgotten shopping list.

"Maybe I wanted you to fight for me. Us.. Maybe I wanted you to.." He shook his head. "I don't know Faith."

"You didn't come to the wedding." She sounded sad, he wanted to laugh at he irony of her sadness at his absence from a wedding she just admitted not wanting to happen.

"I couldn't. I couldn't have sat there and not said-." He shook his head, reaching out and touching her stomach again. Proof of a marriage that was, even if it wasn't supposed to be.

"Maybe I didn't want you to sit there and not say!" She looked him dead in the eye.

"It was your choice. I was respecting your choice." He whispered. "I wanted you to be sure. I wanted it to be real. With Fred, with John. I wanted you to want me. Not settle for me, use me to leave a bad situation like you did Fred. Or need me. Or think I needed you." He took a slow breath. "I wanted you to want to be with me."

They stood starring at each other until he glanced back down at the list, then to the shelf with a slow nod.

"I'm gonna find some of the bottles and stuff." He muttered pushing the cart away and leaving her starring into space.

She shook her head slowly walking into the next isle to find him turning the breast pump box around in his hands grimacing like it was an ancient torture device.

"I did." She said frankly.

"No more today, Babe." He looked at her tiredly.

"No." She snapped.

"No?" He set the box down and turned to square off with her again. "Fine. You did what?"

"Want you. I've always.." She shook her head again. "John was a good man and-. He.. Wasn't going to tell me to get out of his life. He wasn't going to change his mind and leave me standing there alone with my heart on my sleeve. He wasn't gonna hurt me. And at the time, Bosco, all we'd been doing was a lot of hurting. It was a crossroad between new life an old and I needed to make a move. I loved you and I wanted you but I wasn't about to let you hurt me again." She stopped and took a deep breath. "So yeah.. He asked.. Which was more than you ever did. More than you _ever_ did."

His chest rose and fell slowly with her confession. He moved towards her threading his hands back through her hair, folding them behind her neck.

"I'm askin' now." He muttered.

"What?" She breathed.

"Here. Right now in the middle of Wal-Mart. I'm asking. Just so we're clear and you don't go off and marry the next guy who asks? I'm askin'."

"You're askin'?" She squeaked, feeling his hands unclasp and work their way down her arms until he was kneeling in front of her.

"I'm askin'." His voice was low and breathy. "I love you Faith. I don't wanna wait any more. I wanna get married. I want to be with you. I wanna be this baby's father and I wanna be your husband. Marry me."

"It's been three days."

"Fifteen years, ten months, a week and three days." He said softly, running his thumbs across her knuckles. "That's a long time."

"Yeah.." She nodded slowly.

"Faith?" He tugged at her hands. "Marry me?"

She nodded again.

"Yeah?"

Her nodding was more pronounced this time.

"Yeah." She breathed, swallowing back the tears in her eyes as he pulled to his feet and kissed her. "I'll marry you."

He kissed her again her arms coming up against his back with a slap as she clung to him.

"Yeah?"

"All you had to do was ask." She snickered.

"Damn Yokas." He sighed into her shoulder.

* * *

"Oh God I'm freaking out." 

"It's just Charlie and Em." She whispered, locking her fingers around his. "You've known them since they were babies Boz."

"Yeah.. And how many times have I wanted to marry there mother?"

"You want an answer for that?" She asked wisely raising her eyebrows to him.

"No." He said quickly, his mouth sticking in the 'o' at the end.

"It's not like Emily won't see it coming and Charlie loves you Boz."

"You think I should tell him about the Mustang first? You think it'll help, I don't know, soften the blow?"

"The blow?"

"Yeah the whole 'mom and dad getting back together again' thing?"

"Fred and Caroline married a year ago Boz." She looked at him like he was insane. "Just after John and I."

"Oh.. Yeah.."

"You're freaking out." She repeated raising her eyebrows at him.

"Yes."

"Stop it." She ordered looking up as the bells on the door alerted them with a shake.

"Hey look who it is!" He said almost naturally, looking at the kids as they approached, slipping into the booth in front of them.

"Hey guys." Faith said softly smiling at her children.

"So, since I had to take the train in from Boston for this little chat.." Emily looked at her brother before turning her eyes back to Faith and Bosco. "I'm assuming you told her." She settled her gaze on the man in front of her.

"We talked about it." Bosco answered vaguely.

"And you told her?" She repeated the question with more force.

"Emily he told me." Faith said softly, running her thumb over her partners fingers.

"All of it?" She asked her eyes drilling into Bosco's.

"Lets see.." He glanced at Faith. "We covered blindness, panic attacks and unconsummated love." He glanced back at the young woman before him. "That cover it?"

"Depends, did you consummate it?"

"Oh God!" Charlie moaned dropping his gaze to the table.

"Emily!" Faith all but shrieked. Em kept her eyes on Bosco, watching the corners of his lips twitch upward.

"She's just like you." He whispered to Faith.

"Okay, check." Emily muttered to herself, elbowing her brother. "God you're a prude."

"I'm not a- . It's Mom!"

"We're walking proof she's had sex before you know!" Emily admonished her brother. Faith groaned in mortification, Bosco just chuckled again. "So she's already pregnant so you didn't knock her up.. what's with the family meeting?"

Bosco shook his head again slowly, any feelings of uneasiness had vanished at the hand of Emily Yokas.

"We wanna get married." He said quickly.

"What?" Charlie's head popped up, he grinned at the two of them.

"Married?!" Emily shrieked now. Boz laughed shaking his head and looking at his partner.

"_Just_ like you." He told Faith again. "Yeah, married. At city hall tomorrow. We're just going to have a little thing. You guys, my Ma , Sully and the Davis'."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Bosco wants your little sister to have his name." Faith said softly, feeling the way his fingers re-gripped hers. "And we don't really see any reason to wait."

"I'd say you guys waited long enough." Emily said blowing a long puff of air out of her mouth.

"So.. You guys are good? With tomorrow?"

"I'm free? Chaz?"

Charlie Yokas looked between the two of them, nodding slowly at his sister.

"Tomorrow's good."

* * *

"Hell no." Fred growled looking at his daughter with a bemused smile. "No way in hell I'm missin' this." 

"Huh?" Emily looked at him oddly as he picked up his phone.

"Caroline Yokas please." He winked at Emily. "Honey? Clear your scedule for lunch time tomorrow. We're going to a wedding."

* * *

"Seriously?" 

"No Carlos I'm lying."

"Faith and Bosco?"

"Did I stutter?"

"At noon? At our city hall?" Ty rolled his eyes. Carlos grabbed his radio. "Dempsey? Put me through to the 38th. This is Carlos with the 55. I need Kim Doherty. Kimmy.. You got plans for lunch tomorrow?"

* * *

"No way in hell." The man starred up at his former officer. 

"I'm telling you." The other man shook his head.

"Christ." He felt the smile stretch across his face. "'Bout time I guess."

"So?" He raised his eye brows hopefully.

"Yeah.. Yeah just let me-." He picked up the phone nodding at the other man. "Christopher? It's Swersky. I'm taking tomorrow off." He shook his head at his old friend again. "'Bout damn time, I guess. Huh, Sullivan?"

"Yes Sir."

* * *

"You think she changed her mind and made a run for it?" John Sullivan whispered softly to his former partner. Davis stifled a laugh, feeling Sasha's elbow hit his ribs firmly. 

"Maybe he didn't show." Fred smirked, raising a eyebrow at them. "Cold feet?"

"Met some broad on the way here?" Jimmy joined in. They giggled.

The court clerk shot them another warning glance as the latest bride and groom made there way out of the courtroom.

Kim glared at them. Swersky just grinned. It was almost old times, almost Camelot.

"Miller/Boscorelli" The man yelled into the lobby.

And then there was Lancelot and Gwynivere,


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N I realize this makes no sense since these people all work the third watch and I said the wedding was at lunch. Lets just suspend reality. It was easier to have them all be at work when they found out okay. Let's say it was the night before or something... work with me here.. lol.

* * *

**

"By the power invested in me by the state of New York, I pronounce you husband and wife."

The courtroom erupted into chaos again like it had when the walked through the door.

"So much for a few close friends." Faith had whispered to Bosco. He looked over the group thoughtfully, his eyes taking in the uninvited guests.

"Nah. I think that's what we got." He whispered back, watching her face break into a smile.

Now, she watched her husband address the group.

"Okay! Okay enough!" He laughed, waiting for them to stop the boisterous ovation. "We weren't plannin' a reception or anything, but I'm thinkin' we should do somethin'."

"Haggarty's tonight at eight." Sully rumbled softly. "Bosco's treat." Boscorelli rolled his eyes dramatically swinging his head back. "Just kidding. It's on me."

"You're on!" Bosco laughed pointing his finger at Sully.

"Come on." Emily motioned.

"What?" Faith looked at her oddly.

"We have a surprise." She grinned looking at Swertsky who grinned back, scooting out of the crowd and following behind as Emily and Charlie led the couple to the front of the courthouse.

Faith gasped when she saw it, turning her head to look at Bosco who's face twitched into a nostalgic grin.

"I know it's not the real thing... but-." Swertsky was telling Faith his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Thank you, Sir." She sniffed, feeling Bosco's hand slip into hers. Their former Lieutenant laughed. He clapped Bosco on the back, extending the keys to him.

"Try to bring it back in one piece Boscorelli, okay?"

"Yes Sir." He muttered softly taking the keys to 55-David, covered in streamers and soap hearts, adorned with tin cans and a big _Just Married_ sign.

Faith looked at him, raising her eyebrows in silent question. He looked around at the sunny day and nodded back at her.He could drive. He looked at Charlie, extending his hand to Faith. She pulled out the Mustang keys and tossed them to him.

"Here." He said softly dropping them into his step son's hand. "Take your car home."

"Huh?"

"Take good care of it." Bosco nodded.

"Uncle Bosco-."

"Get outta here before I change my mind." He winced. The boy looked at him quickly before taking off towards his new car. Bosco looked at Emily with a grin. "You better go along.." She nodded, and he took Faith's hand and opened the door of 55-David. Trotting along the front end like he'd done thousands of times in the last 16 years, and jumping in the drivers seat.

* * *

"We just got married." Bosco said heavily looking out over the grassy area.

"Yeah." Faith said bluntly, taking a deep breath.

They'd been under the bridge for almost an hour now, sitting on the hood of the RMP.

"Guess I need to get rid of my apartment." He exhaled.

"Yeah." She whispered again. "No.. wait."

"You don't want me to-?" He looked at her in confusion.

"No. We should stay there Boz you know it better.." She dropped her eyes to the dash board. He got it. She was talking about after he lost his sight. "Besides it's one level."

He shook his head slowly.

"No, your place is bigger, it's got more room for the baby, and Charlie.. I'll.. figure it out." He reached for her hand. "I've got time."

She nodded.

"We just got-."

"Do you thinkwe made a mistake?" His mouth went dry after he'd asked the question.

"Do you?"

"I asked first."

"No." She shook her head frantically. "It's just-. Do you?"

"Of course not Faith." He smiled softly, bringing her hand to his lips. "Do you know how long I've wanted to give you my name?"

"Christ. I'm Faith Boscorelli." She grinned.

"Yeah.. get used to it."

"It feels right."

"Yeah?"

"It's just weird. I mean, we got married Bosco." She laughed slightly, pressing her fingers to her lips.

"We did." He whispered, pulling her hand away and kissing her soundly. "How much time we got till Haggarty's?"

"Two hours." She said her eyes widening slightly as he pressed his lips to her neck.

"Yeah?" He muttered moving his body closer. "So Mrs. Boscorelli, ever had sex in the back of a RMP?"


	13. Chapter 13

"Bosco not everything in her life has to be pink and frilly." Faith laughed, looking at the way he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes it does." He nodded his head, touching the tiny bassinet.

"I would have never in a million years pictured you for one of those guys!" She laughed.

"One of those-." He laughed too. "Look Faith, in a year or two you can dress her like Alfalfa and I won't know the difference. So just humor me here!"

"Stop it." She admonished, flashing him a toothy grin.

"Seriously." He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to deprive a blind man of spoiling his only child?"

"Stop Boz." He kissed her neck.

"I want the pink one." He whispered in her ear. "Can't you just see us putting her to sleep in it."

"With that little pink fleece you got and the little pink satin sleeper Kim and Jimmy gave us." She breathed, feeling the smile return to her face. "She'll look like Cotton Candy exploded on her."

"She'll look like a Princess." He pressed his chin into her shoulder. "Come on Yokas."

That was her undoing. Yokas. It was amazing to her how it had become almost a term of endearment. Her former last name (one of her former last names, she seemed to be collecting them) made him her partner again. It took her back to the give and take of 55David. It was a cheap trick and she fell for it every time.

"Okay fine." He kissed her head, picking up the little cradle and placing it awkwardly in the cart.

"I love you."

"You should." She shot back. "And stop playing the blind card."

She'd seen him a Haggarty's the night of their wedding, it was dark in there and it had rendered his eyes all but useless. He was good, far better than she'd expected him to be. He maneuvered the table easily, turning his head towards the conversations like nothing was wrong. He'd danced with her and Kim and Sasha with out peril. She'd been proud of him.

"It's my best card." He announced raising his eyebrows and letting them fall quickly. "It's the silver lining."

"Well stop using it on me." She ordered.

"Fine." He heard her sharp intake of breath and turned back to her. "Faith?"

"It's okay." She assured leaning forward against the cart handle.

"Faith please don't have this baby at Target." He moaned, rubbing his hand down her back.

"What you can propose in a Wal-Mart but I can't give birth in a Target?" She teased.

"Faith."

"Bosco if you're going to freak out every time I have a Braxton-Hicks you're not going to make it through delivery." She took a deep breath and pulled herself fully upright. "I told you, I had them for six weeks with Charlie. I'm fine."

"This is my first baby you know." He shook his head she gave him a empathetic look. "I get to freak out if I wanna. Especially with you still goin' to work every day."

"One more week." She told him trying not to sound too sympathetic.

"Four more days." He corrected.

"Four more." She nodded, looking at her watch.

"What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously, his hand slipping onto her abdomen."

"Trying to be on time for my meeting with Ginger."

"How come since you and me went solo all your partners have been named after food products?" She laughed at him.

"I don't know."

"What else you wanna get today?"

"We got a lot." She looked at the cart.

"The kids got more stuff then me."

"Babies need stuff."

"What else does she need right away?"

"Diapers."

"Check. My mom got us like a million. They're in the nursery."

"It's hardly a nursery!"

"I'm working on it."

"Yeah Yeah.."

* * *

" Faith?"

"Ginger! Sorry I'm late."

"It's fine. I just want to make sure we're still on the same page before you go on leave."

"No it's a good idea." She smiled.

"How's married life?"

"Good."

"I guess you'd be a pro by now." She grinned. Faith froze.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? Cause I been married three times I-"

"Hey! Hey! I meant with Bosco." Detective Ginger Martinez clarified, her hands raised in surrender.

"Sorry." Faith breathed rubbing her face with her hands.

"Touchy subject?"

"Apparently so." She moaned.

"Did someone say something?"

"No." She looked up at Ginger. "I just-. People must think I'm crazy."

"For marrying Bosco?"

"No! For-. Yeah!" She dropped her head onto the desk with a thump.

"Faith?"

"I just don't want people thinking Boz was my third choice." She whispered. "I-."

"Faith anyone who knows you knows that's not true." Ginger said softly, putting her hand on his.

"Detective Mil- I'm sorry- Boscorelli?" The young Sargent stopped in front of her and a she smiled gratefully at him.

"Yes Mike?"

"The 6-8 has a 10-13." Her eyes widened when she realized why they were telling her this.

"Davis?"

"Yes Ma'am. They thought you might want to be notified." Faith was already on her feet, grabbing her things off of the desk.

"Thank you." She started for the door, casting her eyes back to Ginger. "Call Bosco?"

"I'm on it."

"Thank you."

* * *

"What's going on? Where is he?"

"He's in side Ma'am. Your husbands in there with him now." One of the beat cops said softly pointing to the front of the building.

"What happened?

"Hostage situation gone bad. They thought they'd talked the guy down, then the guy shoots Davis everybody starts running and the guy gets away."

"Where was he hit?"

"Took one in the vest and one in the thigh. His buddy's working on him now."

"Carlos?"

"Hispanic guy?"

"Yeah that's him. Building's clear?" She asked dubiously, unconsciously rubbing at her stomach.

"Yes Ma'am."

Faith stepped under the tape and started towards the building. She made her way up the stairs slowly. The Braxton-Hicks were starting to drive her crazy. She was really starting to get sick of them.

She started down the hallway, suddenly bothered by the silence. She opened her mouth to call out for Boz or Carlos when the shot rang out.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been ten minutes since he'd heard the last shot.

He could hear the sound of someone breathing in the room. He held his own breath to be sure. Yup.. someone else.

Carlos. He thought, inching forward towards the front of the closet. He could just make out the movement in the room. There was no way he was going to be able to tell if it was Carlos.

The figure moved closer breathing erratically. He started to back up when he caught a whiff of citrus shampoo.

_Faith._

He moved forward without thinking grabbing her around the waist, one hand coming up to clamp over her mouth as she started to yelp. He pulled her into the closet, pressing himself tightly against her. He knew what she could do and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her self preservation skills.

"Shh.. It's okay." He tried to be as silent as possible, feeling her sag against him. He let his hand drop from her mouth and land across her chest. She dropped her face towards his arm, pressing her lips against it.

"Are you okay?" She whispered leaning her head back on his shoulder, her hand fluttering to his face. He nodded. "Davis?"

"I don't know." He pressed his forehead into her shoulder. He'd taken off after the guy, slipping into the closet when he heard footsteps in the hall.

"Boz." Her voice was more than slightly panicked, he felt her hand clutch at his wrist.

"Shh.. Faith he's still out there."

"Bosco." She pressed back against him, moving his hand from her hip to her side.

"What?"

"My Braxton-Hicks?" He could hear the pain starting to edge into her voice, he could feel her body tighten under his touch. "There five minutes apart."

"Faith?" She leaned back against him and his back hit the wall with a small groan of realization.

"Their not Braxton-Hicks." She hissed through clenched teeth.

"No kidding." He muttered dryly, lacing his fingers with her tight grip. "Super."

* * *

(Fifteen minutes later)

"In here." The man said roughly. Bosco heard a body hit the floor roughly and Ty grunt in pain.

"Hey! Careful man he's been shot." Carlos snapped.

"Yeah I know. I'm the one who fucking shot him, dumb-ass." The gunman growled.

"He's gonna be okay." Carlos muttered. "He needs to be taken care of, but he's going to be okay."

"And I care because?"

"They'll go a lot easier on you... if you just let us go."

Bosco rolled his eyes at the muffled conversation drifting under the door. Shut up Carlos. Shut up. He wondered why Ty wasn't talking, it was his job. He was the one trained to do this.

He felt Faith's breath speed up as her body tensed against him, he started slowly counting his thumb stroking the side of her face evenly.

"I shot a cop!" The man yelled. "I'm not an idiot I know what that means. Jail time. Lots of it."

"And every second you keep us here your adding on time." Carlos said frankly.

"Carlos.." Ty's hoarse voice echoed from somewhere in the room. "Shut up.." He was still winded from the shot to the vest. Bosco remembered that feeling. He shook off the memory trying to focus on counting. "Gordan, this isn't as bad as it looks man." He reasoned. "You didn't run, and that's good."

Bosco didn't know weather to laugh or cry. Davis was really laying it on. This guy was going down hard. Really Fucking Hard. His old dreams of ESU made him want to laugh now. He'd have never made it through "what's your name?" without blowing the Jack-of's head off.

It was the almost unperceptive whimper from his wife that made him realize he'd lost count. He shot a silent plea towards Davis to wrap this up. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Faith wasn't going to hold out much longer he decided wincing as her fingernails tore into his arm.

Bosco struggled to keep her upright for another moment before slowly sliding down the wall until he'd settled on the floor.

"Take slow breaths." He soothed pressing his forehead against her shoulder.

"Shut up." She whimpered again grasping at his arms.

"Kay."

"It hurts." He moved his hand across her body slowly, pulling it back again as she started to relax into him.

"I can't see your watch." He confessed slowly.

"Doesn't matter." She panted, he pushed her hair back from her sweaty face.

"Davis is gonna get this guy squared away." He assured her with fake confidence.

"Shut up." She all but sobbed clutching her hands with new found strength.

"Another one?" He was alarmed at the consistency.

"Same one I think." She breathed, her voice slipping into a panic once again.

"Shh.. Baby you have to be-."

"Shut up.." She begged, pressing her lips together letting out a slow quiet moan.

"Gordon listen to me. You let us go, turn yourself in and-." Davis' voice was weak and light. Bosco didn't think that was a good sign.

"I said shut your fucking mouth cop!" The gunman yelled.

"Hey. He's trying to help you." Carlos yelled back.

"Yeah.. Help me!" Gordan laughed.

"Boz.." She moaned panting out a breath, her fingers crushing his.

"Shh.. Breath.."

"No.. Bosco I wanna push."

"You wanna what?"

"Oh.. god.." She pressed out through clenched teeth. "Boz.."

"No. No. NO." His panicked whisper got louder.

"Bosco.." Her breath sped up again. He could feel her legs tremble against his own.

"No pushing. Blow.. remember? Like they said in class.."

"Blow.." She muttered quietly to herself panting out another breath.

"Carlos.." Ty's words strung together, and Bosco heard another thump.

"Davis?!" Came the paramedic's worried shout. It echoed with the terror filled cry that finally escaped Faith's lips.

"What the hell-?"

Then another shot rang out, glass shattered, wood split and Maurice Boscorelli prayed to God.


	15. Chapter 15

What happened next would be forever jumbled in everyone's memory.

"**New York Swat**!"

"_On the floor on the floor on the floor_."

"Police!"

"S_hooters down shooters down. Hostages accounted for." _

The sudden brightness of the room had made him gasp, clenching his eyes shut and pressing his head into Faith's shoulder.

"Turn it off!" She yelled frantically.

"No.. It's fine. It's fine." He announced lifting his head and cautiously and taking in the now well lit room.

The paramedic's from the 38 were busy assessing Ty. While Carlos shook off his shock, stepping over the dead gunman and kneeling down in front of them.

"Now?" He moaned shaking his head furiously.

"Complete Cluster Fuck." Bosco muttered.

"How far apart are the contractions?" The paramedic asked looking from Bosco to Faith.

"She's coming!" Faith demanded, her feet slipping in an attempted grab at traction on the tile floor.

Carlos shot a look at Bosco.

"You heard the woman." He muttered bracing himself as her foot hit the door frame and pressed her back into him.

Carlos nodded his head grabbing his radio with one hand and scissors with the other.

"Holly I need a birth kit in here now." He dropped his radio back at his side and started cutting away Faiths' leggings.

"I'm sorry Babe a what?" Came Holly's stunned reply.

"How many weeks?"

Faith moaned in response, and he shot his eyes to Bosco.

"35." He shouted back.

"Get your ass up here!" He shouted palming the radio again before dropping it and moving his free hand to where the other one was. Bosco didn't want to think about where the other one was. "Don't push Faith."

"I've been not pushing!" She cried, dropping her head back against Bosco's chest, her hands digging into his shoulders. "I can't do this."

Bosco dropped his head back and looked at the ceiling for support. Her voice had reached hysteria now. He knew it well, hoarse and high pitched, it had always made his heart beat a little faster. Right now it made his heart speed past what was in anyway normal.

"You are doing it." He exhaled, willing his heart to slow down. Now was not the time to panic.

"Shut up." She grunted through clenched teeth.

"Kay." He whispered as Holly burst through the door.

"Gimme that, then check on Ty!" Carlos yelled reaching out his and to her with a worried glance towards his best friend.

"Faith?" Holly shook her head quickly.

"Holly! Ty?"

"Yeah.." She muttered moving towards the fallen officer, moving in between the guys from the 3-8.

"Hang on Faith."

"Fuck you I'm pushing." Faith screamed

"No.. no.. come on Faith listen to Carlos."

"I think I told you to shut up!" She yelled. "Huuuhh. Boz!"

"When I said not Target this wasn't what I had in mind, Yokas."

"Next time.. be.. more.. specific!" She grunted out her body pressing forward.

"Okay Baby's crowning." Carlos said suddenly. "Bosco, put your hands behind her knees."

"Put my-?" He shook his head quickly moving his hands. Faith's fingers crawled up his shoulders and locked around the back of his neck. He kissed the side of her head in acknowledgment.

"Bosco.." She whimpered.

"Okay Faith.. on the next one."

"On this one!" She corrected bearing down hard into the push.

"Good. Good. Good.."

"Ty's fi-. Oh my God."

"A hand here Holly!" Carlos cried, reaching up over his shoulder. She dropped a sterile towel into it.

Faith collapsed back against her husband, gasping.

"Bosco.. I can't. I-. God this hurts like-. UhhAh!"

He sured himself up against the wall, his wrists slipping further under her knee's as her hands came around to grasp his.

"Pushpushpush!" Holly pleaded slowly in one long breath.

"Head's out." Carlos informed, reaching over and grabbing a bulb syringe from Holly. "Great job Faith. Give me one more big push okay?"

"One more."

"I ca-"

"Yes you can."

"Boz-."

"You can." He said finally. "Deep breath.. push."

Bosco closed his eyes at the anguished sound that slipped through her clenched teeth as she pushed.

"There she is.. I got her." Carlos called as Holly started rubbing the baby with the towel as Faith caught her breath. Bosco starred down at the little girl who gave a vivacious yell in protest.

Faith laughed with relief as he kissed her cheek again.

"She looks good." Holly said sweetly as Carlos handed the baby to Faith. "She have a name?"

Faith looked over her shoulder at Bosco, giving him a tiny nod as his hands came up to touch the baby's little foot.

"Miller Rose Boscorelli." He told them softly catching Faith's hand as he let one finger ease onto the baby's cheek. "Miller Rose."


	16. Chapter 16

**Just incase you care.. there is sex in this chapter. If you don't want to 'watch' stop reading at the third section. I try to be tasteful but if you've ever read any of my other stuff.. i'm... detailed.**

**be warned.. **

**lori**

* * *

"So, you got the plan right?" Faith emerged from the bedroom, still rubbing at her hair with the towel. "Bosco?" 

She stopped in front of the couch, a small smile gracing her pretty face.

He was sprawled out in NYPD sweat pants, the baby in her salmon sleeper laying across his bare chest. Bosco's hand cupped her head, tufts of brown hair poking out from between his fingers, while the other arm dangled over the edge.

"Boz?" She dropped down beside him, kissing his lips as she drew her fingers across the baby's back. "I'm going to go."

"I didn't-. I need to go run." He muttered, his eyes squeezing shut as his hand lifted up to Miller's back as he started to sit up.

"I'll do it." She whispered, leaning him back gently and walking towards the table where his wallet lay open.

"You're gonna run for me?" He said weakly.

"You get them at Gillian's Flowers right? The one on Forth?" She pulled out two dollars, and crossed back towards him.

"Faith.."

"My husband buys another woman flowers every morning and you think I don't notice? I am a detective you know." She bent down, pressing her lips to Miller's head before turning her lips to Bosco's, lingering in the kiss longer than usual. "I'll do it."

She smiled some what sadly at him before making her way to the door

* * *

It's not like he kept it from her, he reasoned, screwing the lid of the bottle back on tightly, while jiggling the baby with the other. They'd been married for two months, half of that time with a newborn. When exactly do you fit that into the conversation? 

The ringing phone shook him out of his contemplation. He climbed out of the rocking chair and lunged across the bed to the phone. Miller squawked in protest as he moved the bottle away from her mouth.

"Hang on Princess. Hang on." He muttered, slipping it back in. "Yeah?"

"Ginger's quiting on me."

"What?"

"She's going to CSI. Can you freaking believe it? What the hell? Do I smell?"

"Not bad." He mused, tilting the phone to his shoulder.

"First Jelly refuses to transfer with me. Mac goes to Boston and Cracker Jack..."

"Could we maybe just call him Jack?"

"You'd think wouldn't you?" She huffed. "I can't break in another partner Boz."

"You'll be fine. You're always fine." He changed ears with the phone, carefully tilting Miller back against the arm of the couch. "After working with me you can work with anyone."

"See.. that's where your wrong. After working with you I deserve to work with someone normal."

"Ahh.. Baby, you say the sweetest things." He snickered.

"You know what I mean."

"I do." He told her softly. "Faith.. we gonna talk about it?"

"That's not what we're doing?" She avoided.

"Faith.."

"Bosco.. look don't start okay?"

"Don't you think we should-?"

"No." She exhaled slowly. Bosco looked down at the baby, she'd stopped sucking and was starring at him curiously. He swallowed hard before lifting her to his shoulder. He didn't want to look into the tiny version of Faith's curious eyes.

"Don't you want to ask me why?"

"No." She whispered. "I know why. I get it Bosco. I really do."

"I don't think you-."

"I bought the damn rose Boz. I did it." She spit at him. "I was letting you know it was okay. I understand, you don't have to hide it from me. You owe Cruz. I owe Cruz. The city of New York owes Fucking Maritza Cruz! I get it." Bosco listened to her rapid breathing as she struggled to calm down. "I get it."

"I love you." He said simply. His voice calm and sincere, with no hint of challenge. It was a voice that she knew well.

A voice that said _I'll take it. I deserve it. Just keep dishing it. _

She hated that voice. It always hit her hard. She knew where that voice came from. She hated that resolve and the horrible childhood that put it there.

"I'll be home a couple of hours late. I'm gonna take Ginger to Haggarty's to-."

"Okay."

"Give Millie a kiss."

"Done."

"Boz.."

"Faith, don't." He said gently. "Have fun with Ginger."

"I love you too."

"Be careful."

"Always."

He hung up the phone, peeling the now sleeping baby off his shoulder, gave her Faith's kiss and putting her in the pink frilly bassinet. He wandered towards the window, pressing it down firmly before pushing the already tight lock with his thumb.

He sighed loudly, rubbing his face with his hand before dropping onto the bed. Bosco squinted towards the lamp in the corner before rolling away from it. The glare hurt his eyes. He tried to focus on the wall in front of him, trying to make out the shape of Charlie's baby face in the picture that hung there. He could see Emily's white bows in the lamp's glare, wincing at the effort. He leaned forward and pulled open the drawer. Fingering though the prescription pain killers. He glanced back at the pink bassinet before reaching for the Tylenol. He'd take something else when Faith came home if he needed too. He let his eyes slip closed as he swallowed the pills, blindly putting the bottle of water back on the nightstand.

* * *

It's her lips that first alerts him that she's home. He feels them, wet and warm against his clavicle. His mouth dropped open as she made it to the hollow of his throat. 

"Faith..?"

"You expecting someone else?" She purred softly. He felt her fingers splay across his abdomen.

"The baby..?" He asked softly.

"In her room." She whispered in his ear before sucking it into her mouth. He moaned, his hands slipping up the side of her t-shirt.

"Faith.. Honey.." He sighed meeting her mouth with his and kissing her chastely.

"Are you stalling the sex?" She asked indignantly, pulling back slightly. "Tell me you're not stalling the sex."

"I thought we were going to wait for your appointment.."

"I don't want to wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Bosco? I'm seducing you and you're asking questions." He slid his hand up her body to her face, cupping her cheek. He brushed his thumb over her lips a few times.

"My bad." He admitted breathlessly, pulling her down for a kiss.

She ran her fingers across his chest, down the long scar that separated it into two sides. She pressed her lips to it, then to each small divot the bullets had left. He tangled his hand in her hair as she came back to his mouth and met his hungry lips.

Her left hand fluttered to his right cheek, fingering the edges of the band-aide.

"Leave it." He winced, cocking his head to the side and away from her hand.

"No." She told him softly.

"Faith."

"No more hiding." She vowed slowly. "I want to see you." She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her. "Boz?" He nodded slightly turning his face towards her fingers. She gently pealed back the bandage, her fingers tracing the scar slowly.

He'd expected a gasp, he'd expected her to pull back. He hadn't expected her to lower her forehead to his, running her thumb softly over the spot in slow smooth strokes.

"Make love to me." She told him, the heat of her breath stinging his lips was all that it took. He pushed his body up against hers grasping her against him, bringing his lips to her skin. "I love you and I want you to love me."

"I do." He promised pulling off her shirt and tossing it on to the floor. He flipped her onto her back, pulling at his sweatpants, letting them slide off his body and onto the floor with a woosh. "God. Faith, you know I do."

"Show me." She ordered, pulling back her legs as he rolled her silky panties off of her replacing them immediately with his touch. She gripped his shoulders fiercely. "I want to feel it."

"It was you." He devoured her body with his, kissing her, stroking her and covering her until she was undone. "I promise you Faith it was always you."

"Bosco.." He waited for her to beg. "Please.." For her to cry for release before giving it to her. "Boz.."

He collected her body into his, forcing his way into her and out again quickly as her legs struggled to grasp hold of him.

"Always Baby.." He told her pressing into her more tenderly, raising their bodies until he was on his knees and she was in control. He pressed his mouth against the bow of her shoulder, half biting half gasping. She threaded one hand in his hair crying out in little bursts as he strained against his own release. "Always you."

Her back arched magnificently and he held her to him as she let go, her voice echoing from the wall and back before he reached too, pressing kisses against her sweaty sternum as his body calmed.

He pulled her up again, closing his palms around her now flushed cheeks and straining to see into her fluttering eyes.

"Don't ever doubt me." He pleaded, shallow short breaths pushing against her hot face. "I love you more than anything.. anyone... ever.."

Her expression was almost frightened before she tossed her arms around him and pressed her lips tightly to his before pulling apart and pressing into his shoulder as he turned them onto the bed and pulled her to him.

"I love you, Faith." He whispered. "Don't ever doubt that."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**

I do in fact have a desination with this.. the next few chaps are kind of.. fluff in a box with little hearts on it though.. not typical me! But I'm lost in a post series world.. all of my fav. shows have come and gone!

So in an attempt to make myself feel better I have run back to the best couple ever to not get a happy ending.. I miss Faith and Boz... and I know some of you do too..

so here they are...

let me know if you get bored.. I'll speed up.

lori

* * *

"Okay, Okay" Bosco cooed over his daughter's yelling. He grabbed her off the changing table, dropping into the soft cushy chair that Faith had insisted on. He silently thanked her, closing his eyes as he flopped his body back against it, rubbing Miller's back. "It's okay."

He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until the phone rang, her clutched the baby tight against him for a second before clambering to answer.

"Yeah.."

"Did you hear anything?" Charlie breathed into the phone. Bosco's eyes slipped open all the way.

"About what?"

"Mom.. I mean.. no knew is good news right?"

"Something happen?"

"You didn't hear?" Charlie asked solemn

"What?" He was on his feet now, clomping down the steps, his shoulder pressed against the wall for guidance.

"There was some kinda riot or something. Cops went down. Lots of cops."

"From where?" He flipped on the scanner, becoming more frantic which each passing second.

"Multiple precincts." Charlie quoted bleakly.

"Damn." Faith was there. Major Crime was defiantly there.

"No news is good news." Charlie muttered softly. "Remember?"

"Sure." Bosco whispered listening to chaos ensue on the radio.

"I tried her office."

"Cell?"

"Yeah nothing."

"Okay." Bosco repeated. Miller started to complain from his shoulder, he turned down the volume on the scanner. "It's okay."

"Uncle B.."

"It is Charlie." He sighed heavily. "No news.."

"I know." His stepson paused. "You want me to come over? We could hang out or I could take care of Mil while you went to the station.."

Bosco went to turn him down, stopping the words before they made it out of his mouth.

"You need something to do." He said flatly.

"Desperately."

"Kay." He took a deep breath. "Be careful."

"I will Bosco." The kid assured.

* * *

"I'm going down there." Bosco huffed standing up from the couch quickly. Charlie looked at him like he had another head.

"No news is.." The boy began weakly.

"Yeah.. that's a bunch of crap." Bosco swallowed hard. "She'd call me.."

"It's only been an hour." The boy blinked at him.

"I gottta.." He made his way to the hall and pulled out Miller's snuggly.

"You should leave her with me." Charlie said dubiously, knowing there was no way that he was going to leave the little girl behind.

"I got her." He said.

"Lemme drive you." He stood up, meeting Bosco toe to toe.

"Charlie I can still-."

"It'll be faster than the subway." He said quickly, Bosco dropped his head.

"Kay."

* * *

"Hey." Bosco reached for his stepson, grabbing the fabric of his sleeve, swinging him around, while pointing with his other arm. "There." His voice got soft. "Tell me that's her."

"It's her." Charlie sighed in relief, running his hand over his baby sister's head.

"Thank God." Bosco breathed.

"I'm gonna call Em." Charlie muttered palming his cell phone. Bosco nodded, dropping his head to the center of his chest where the baby dangled from her snuggly and pressed his lips to her hair before moving towards the stairs and trotting up to where Faith was.

"Hey.." She called moving towards the door that he had slipped through and kissing him and the baby quickly. He tried to hold onto her as she whisked away and moved back to her desk. "Did I see Charlie?"

"Yeah.." He blinked at her as she lifted another evidence bag and bit her lip before spinning back to the bulletin board. "We were freaking out."

"I'm sorry." Her tone was remorseful but it quickly dropped as she turned back to the bags. "I should have called you. I've been.." She bit her lip again. "I'm missing something here I just.."

"Faith seriously.. would it have killed you to pick up a phone?"

"Boz I said I was sorry." She huffed, never lifting his head.

"Sorry?" He shook his head. "I thought you were hurt.. or worse.. the kids and I were.."

"What are you channeling Fred now?" She teased running her hand across the map of the crime scene.

"I'm starting to see maybe the jack-off had a point." He blurted dropping his hands to his side.

"Excuse me?" She spun around and starred at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Now I have your attention?" He grimaced. "You should have called."

"I said I'm sorry. I was working. I-." She looked at him, arms crossed protectively over Miller, eyes closed, his foot tapping in agitation. Her heart dropped a little. "I should have called."

"I.." He stopped, opening his eyes slowly against the bright room. He grimaced in confusion. "Did you turn on a light?" Faith took a few quick steps to the doorway, flipping the lights off as she led him to a chair.

"Boz." She said softly, tracing the back of her hand across his cheek.

"I'm okay." He breathed rubbing one hand across the opposite cheek and rubbing Miller's head with the other. "'S just my head."

"I should have-. God Babe I.. I didn't even think about it. We never called home before. No news is-."

"We called each other." Bosco muttered. "If one of us.." Faith thought about the Meth house. She thought about the Thanksgiving he'd been a hostage. She though about all the times she'd called him from ground zero in the aftermath when something else fell, when cops got hurt.. she'd always called Boz.. He'd always called her.

She pressed her lips to his forehead.

"You know I'm careful."

"This ain't about me not believing in you."

"I know." She sighed. He wasn't Fred.

"We've been in lots of things like this.. it's just.." He swallowed hard. "I had your back then Faith. We were there together." She pressed her lips to his hairline again. "I kept thinking about was what fat ass desk jockey they had you partnered with now and how he was gonna get you killed."

"I don't know Bosco I think I could still beat your blind ass with mine saddled to the desk." Came a cheery voice from the hall.

"Davis?"

"Oh no let me.." Faith grinned. "Playing the role of Fat ass desk Jockey will be my new partner Ty Davis.. Playing the role of smarmy overprotective Fred Yokas will be my about to be humbled husband Maurice Boscorelli..."

"They got you with Davis?" Bosco choked.

"As of this morning." She cooed, cupping his cheek in her hand.

"So what do you think Bosco? My ass fat enough to cover your wife's or do you want me to quit the gym?" He snickered.

"Oh thank god." He muttered rubbing his face again.

"I'll take that as a yes." Ty shook his head pushing past them to his new desk. "You here to help?"

"Help?"

"What do you say Boz? We could use fresh eyes." His wife ruffled his hair as she spoke.

"So to speak?" He snorted, she punched his shoulder.

"You helpin' or not?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sure." He muttered.

"Good. I'm gonna go talk to Charlie and tell him to go home." She patted him on the shoulder and slipped out the door. He watched Faith's form turn into a blob as she walked away before disappearing completely.

"Bosco?" Ty called his voice lilting with concern. Bosco figured it wasn't the first time he'd said his name.

"Yeah?"

"Can I turn on the lamp?"

"It's your office." Bosco sighed, letting the words run together before looking at Ty apologetically. "Yeah.. Davis the lamp should be okay."

"You'll tell me if-?"

"Yeah.." He breathed, wondering how long he'd been standing outside the door listening to him and Faith before he came in. "Ty?"

"Bosco?"

"I-. You have no idea how glad I am that it's you." He admitted.

"Hey.. yeah I do." He swallowed hard. "You road with Sasha once remember?"

"Yeah.. and shot her." Bosco closed his eyes.

"She probably had it coming." He teased, watching the way his eyes shot back open, only to squint against the small lamp. "I'll try a little harder with Faith..."

"Davis." Bosco winced.

"I'm kidding."

"I know."

"Okay!" Faith clapped her hands together as she stepped back into the room. "Ty.. you tell Boz what we got and I.." She stood in front of her husband and started unstrapping her daughter from his chest. "..am going to feed the baby before I explode."

She flopped down in her desk chair and tossed a blanket from the bag over her shoulder.

"You can't just pump?" Ty grimaced.

"She's right here." Faith laughed as he winced, making no attempt to hide his discomfort. "Sasha breast feeds!"

"Yes.. but not with her partner in the room!" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't think Susanna would mind much." Faith laughed pulling at the button's on her blouse. Ty watched her in mock horror.

"Hey.. Davis.." Bosco said suddenly. "Eyes on me."

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**

Did I mention Fluff and Pain seem to go hand and hand with me? It's a sickness..

* * *

"Ty and Sasha want us to go to the cabin with them next month." Faith whispered, drawing her hand across her husbands chest. "Davis says Sully's lonely. He's tryin' to get him to come home."

"I think Davis is the one who's lonely."

"Why? I hear he's got this kick ass new partner."

"I know her. She's not all that." Bosco teased. "She's bossy."

"So was Sully."

"Match made in heaven." He mused, pulling her closer and letting out a staggered breath.

"You okay?"

"Yeah.." He lied.

"Take something." She pleaded propping herself up on her elbow. "It's okay to take something when it hurts."

"What if you get called in?"

"One of the Peterson girls can come over." She told him.

"Wake up a teenager at three am so they can baby sit me while Miller sleeps?"

"They can crash in Charlie's room in case of emergencies." Faith huffed. "It'd be fine Boz. Jo Ann said they'd be happy to help us. She even said they could take Miller over there if the girls couldn't watch her."

"What you have a conversation about your incompetent half blind husband and-?"

"Stop it." She ordered. He pulled her back to his body, pressing his face into her hair.

"Sorry." He whispered as she turned in his arms.

"It's okay." Faith soothed running her hand over his face. He winced again. "Please take something."

"Kay. Just the Tylenol with Codeine."

"You sure?" She pulled the drawer open and fished it out.

"Yeah." He took the pill from her as she opened the bottle of water and handed it to him. Faith took it back as he dropped onto the pillow.

She lowered herself slowly back to the bed, kissing his temple.

"You want me to turn off the lamp?" She whispered to him, watching one eye crack open before both lost blue eyes were held in hers. He pressed his lips together before nodding slightly. "I'll turn it back on if I have to go." She promised, moving across the room. He closed his eyes as her hand reached up to the switch, not opening them until she was back at his side. "The bathroom lights still on." She whispered softly, stroking his face with the back of her hand. "You okay?" He nodded again.

"Feels better." He mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

She heard him muttering before she was even fully awake. He was going back and forth about something. She pulled her self up touching his arm gently.

"Shh.. it's okay.." She soothed. "Boz.."

"Faith? Where's my..? Faith?" He whipped his head to the left, wincing with pain as both hands gripped his head. "Where's my partner?" He mumbled to no one. "Gussler where the hells my-?"

"Bosco?" She said a little more firmly, watching him roll onto his side, his knees pulling up to his chest.

"Faith.. I need Faith.."

"Shh.. Boz.. I'm right here." She pulled his arms away from his head, taking one hand tightly in his and reaching for the drawer with the other. "Here. Bosco I need you to take this."

"Faith?" He called in confusion as she placed the pill on his tongue, rushing the bottle of water to his lips.

"Shh.. swallow." She watched him swallow, capping the bottle and tossing it onto the floor. Faith dropped back to the bed touching him gently. "You awake?"

"I don't know." He muttered softly scooting into her embrace. "Damn." He winced swallowing hard. She ran her hands through his hair a few times. "Hurts like a-." He swallowed again pressing his face into her neck. "Did you give me the Vicodin or the Methadone?"

"Methadone." She whispered.

"Good. What the hell-."

Your all worked up. Your blood pressures up." She soothed, her cool fingers moving over his scalp. "It was a dream."

"Not a dream." He muttered. "'S dark in here."

"Bathroom lights on." She said softly.

"Can't see it."

"I don't think the lamps a good idea." She whispered kissing his forehead.

"I gotta check the.." He muttered pulling back from her. He grimaced before letting his head drop back to the pillow.

"I got it." She whispered slipping out of the bed and pressing her thumb against the windows, finding them tighter then most humans could possibly get them. "They're locked. They're fine." She called getting back in bed.

"Sorry.." He had rolled away now and she spooned against him. "I'm so-. 

"Shh.. it's okay." She pressed a kiss into the nape of his neck, nuzzling into him. He tangled his arms into hers.

"Drugs are working." He exhaled slowly.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I can't.. Gusller was there.. I couldn't find you.. I.." He turned back towards her slightly, she rolled her shoulder under his.

"Panicked?"

"Guess so.."

"I'm right here." She kissed his ear.

"I hate the dark."

"I'm right here." She repeated in a slow sigh this time, tightening her embrace. He turned all into her now. His breathing slowed down to an acceptable rate as he fell asleep. "I'm right here."

* * *

"Go."

"You're sure?"

Bosco leaned back on the bed and looked at her like she was nuts.

"Faith.. go."

"I don't have to. I could call Ty and climb back into bed and spend the rest of the day eating pizza in our underwear." She offered climbing across the bed towards him.

"As tempting as that sounds-." He pushed himself forward from the head board, his mouth inches from hers.

"I've got on some really nice underwear." She purred ignoring his words and pressing her lips to his.

"-your distraction techniques are useless on me Detective. Now go to work." He laughed pushing her back from him.

"You gotta girl comin' over here?" She teased, he looked at her in mock disgust.

"What kinda fool do you think I am? I don't let chicks come to my place! She wants me, I go to her."

"My bad." Faith looked over the bedside table. "You got everything you need?"

"You asked me that already."

"Did I?"

"Is this about you bein' scared to leave me with the baby? Cause Charlie said he'd be home by six." He pointed to their daughter, bouncing spastically in her exersaucer inches away from the bed.

"Boz. I'm not scared about leavin' you with Millie." She sighed, dropping a kiss onto the baby's head. "Bye, bye!" She cooed, waving her hand slowly at the infant before turning back to him. "I just don't want to leave _you_ with you."

He circled her wrist with his fingers.

"Hey." He tugged her down to the bed. "I had a bad night, it's over. I'm fine." He leaned forward and kissed her between the eyes. "Now if you like living in doors? One of us has to go to work, and that my partner is you."

"Take the meds if you need them. Like you said. Charlie'll be here." She slipped her fingers around to the back of his neck as she kissed him goodbye.

"I will." He exhaled slowly as she climbed off the bed.

"I'll call." She yelled back through the bedroom door.

"I'll be here." He called looking at Miller with a grin she bounced a few more times. He bounced too. "We'll be okay

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Faith muttered slipping into the doctor's office. "Hi Baby!" She squealed at Miller.

"Mamamama." The baby jet her arms out to her.

"You can check that one off the list." Bosco laughed the doctor grinned at him. "He was just asking me if she was usin' words and stuff."

"Usually just Daddy." Faith whined picking up the little girl.

"Common one year old vocabulary." The doctor smirked. "I think that about does it."

"I missed everything?"

"Not the shots." He raised an eyebrow. "Which if I remember correctly is the part that Bosco dreads?"

"You remember just fine." He grunted as the doctor chuckled making his way out the door.

"Hi." Faith sighed leaning over and kissing his face.

"You sent Finney."

"You needed a ride."

"You sent Finney in an RMP." He moaned. "I coulda took the subway."

"And mingle with commoners?" She teased. "You hate the subway."

"I'm getting used to it."

"He was free." Faith waved her hand dismissively. It caught her attention that his eyes didn't move at all, she bit her lip. "How was your day?"

"Same old... Teletubies, banana's and juice boxes. How's the case?"

"Horrible." She cooed at Miller, bouncing the little girl up and down on her legs.

"Nothing?" Bosco raised an eyebrow.

"Not one thing." Faith drew out each word in a sing song voice. Miller laughed.

"I'm sorry." Her husband held up a pretzel stick, Miller grabbed it.

"Ah.. I don't wanna talk about it." Faith exhaled folding the baby's legs to sit her on her knee.

"Kay." Bosco cooed waving another stick at Miller.

The door opened quickly and the light came on even faster.

"Could you turn that off?" Faith said firmly as Bosco's head turned towards the wall.

"I have to give her shots."

"The light by the sink is on." Faith protested.

"Faith." Bosco's warning tone fell on deaf ears.

"Ma'am I need the light on."

"My husband-."

"Faith!" He called a little louder, turning his head back to her. "It's okay."

"No it's not."

"Yes.. it is."

"Bosco there's no reason she can't give her the shots in a dimly lit room. She's giving her shots for God sakes not preforming brain surgery."

The nurse snorted.

"Honey.." Bosco drew the word out slowly, until it wasn't a term of endearment but a warning. "It's fine. You need to calm down"

She looked at him sharply his hand pressed against his face blinking his eyes in a futile attempt to focus.

"Fine." She quipped, nodding her head quickly, transferring Miller to her father's lap. "I'm gonna calm down in the car."

"Faith." Bosco called in vain dropping his head back and rolling his eyes dramatically. Before squinting them up at the nurse. "Do it." He muttered impatiently.

She shook her head in confusion before grabbing the baby's thigh and sinking in the needle before he had a chance to turn away. He grimaced again, kissing Miller's head as she started to cry.

* * *

She was sitting on the hood of the tan sedan when he made his way out of the building pushing Miller's stroller. She watched as he pulled his sunglasses of of his face to cross the street, scanning the parking lot for her. She swallowed against the tightness of her throat when she realized he couldn't see her. She dropped her feet onto the asphalt and started over.

"What the hell was that?" He whispered gently when she came into view, slapping the sunglasses back on his face.

"She was rude." She quipped, unbuckling the baby from the stroller and starting back to the car.

"_She_ was rude?" Bosco followed her, watching her retreating form as he folded the stroller.

"Yes. I made a request and she-." His wife's voice drifted out of the car as she put Miller in her seat.

"You gave an order. She was just doing her job Faith." He shut the trunk before turning to face her.

"Whatever." She muttered. "If you can't ask for help then-."

"That's the thing you keep forgetting. I don't need help." He said quickly. "I don't need Finney to come pick me up. I don't need the nurse to turn off the lights. I don't need you to fight for me."

"You think this is easy for me?" Faith countered. "I'm scared to death Bosco! I worry about you being on the subway with the baby. I worry about you crossing the damn street if it's too cloudy. Then I worry about your headaches when it's too sunny. I worry that you aren't telling me how bad it is and then I worry about how I'm gonna handle it when I know how bad it is!"

She watched him drop his chin to his chest, torn between wanted to comfort her and wanting to tell her off.

"Say something." She yelled, her chest still heaving from her onslaught of words.

He took a step towards her, reaching out for her wrist and roughly pulling her closer. She touched his shoulder gently as his lips fluttered against her cheek.

"She said you can give Miller some Tylenol is she's fussy." He pulled away from her slowly. "I'll-." He stopped turning his back and making his way to the other side of the street.

"Bosco?" She called in confusion.

"Go home Faith."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll call if I'm going to be late." He shouted back.

"Boz! What the hell are you doing?"

"Don't worry about it." He said roughly.

"Bosco!" She yelled as he disappeared into the crowd.

He ignored her final plea, crossing the street against the stream of people and moving towards the subway navigating it with ease. It still stunned him sometimes how easy it was for him to do things by memory. It worried him too, more than Faith could ever know, that he'd make a mistake. That he wouldn't listen carefully enough, wouldn't catch the movement of a car fast enough, that he'd somehow forget the way around the city he knew like the back of his hand.

They announced his stop and he followed the crowd. He wasn't kidding when he'd said he'd gotten used to the subway. It was easier than anything else. He could use the bodies around him to navigate. They all moved forward so did he. They went left. He went left. For a brief moment he heard Faith's voice in his head. _If they all jumped off a cliff-?_ He'd probably be the unlucky lemming in that situation. He felt his cell phone buzz on his hip, guiltily ignoring what he knew would be his wife's apologetic phone call he followed the crowd until they spilled onto the street and he had his bearings.

He made his way down to the doors and busted into the smoky room.

"Maurice!"

"Hey Ma."

"How are you Baby?"

"I'm alright." He exhaled, kissing her on the cheek like he'd done to Faith a half hour before. "Listen.. Ma.. Faith's gonna call here any second.."

"What'd you do?" Rose said harshly cupping her son's face in her hand.

"Nothin' Ma.. I just needed some air." He sighed heavily. "She's in Mother Tiger mode and I.. just needed some air."

"I ain't gonna lie to her Maurice. Faith and I been through too much together for me to lie to her about something stupid." Rose's thumb unconsciously slipped down the bandage on his face. Bosco felt the same old stab of guilt in his chest that he always did when reminded of his shootings' aftermath that he'd so selfishly gotten to sleep through.

"Fine." He said softly grasping his mothers hand and pulling it from his face. "Tell her I told you to say I wasn't here but I'm fine and you'll send me her way when I've calmed down. Okay?" 

Rose Boscorelli seemed to weigh her options for a moment before her bartender gave a yell, holding the phone up to her.

"Ma?"

"I don't know what you did but you better fix it." She muttered before making her way to the phone. "Faith? Oh Sweetheart don't cry he's right here." His mother cooed. "Told me to tell you I hadn't seen him. Sittin' at the end of the bar looking like an idiot who pissed off his wife."

Bosco's lips twiched into a grin as he slowly shook his head.

"I'm gonna let him sulk for a while, Baby, then I'll put him in a cab." He watched his mother put her hand on her chest softly. "Faith Sweetheart I'll tell him, but I promise you what ever you said he deserved to hear. Because you wouldn't have said it otherwise Dear you know him way too well. I will, Faith. I remember. Give that baby a kiss from Grandma Rose. Okay Sweetheart. Bye bye."

She handed the phone back to the bartender and slowly shook her head at her son before thumping him on the chest with her palm. "She's sorry and she loves you."

"She was cryin'?"

"Yeah she was cryin'! Saying she let you down made you feel weak." Rose shook her head. "That girl has been the only thing holding you together at all for years Maurice. She's got more things to worry about then your masculinity. She's got that job of hers, three kids and a stubborn half-blind husband to worry about. Your ego should not be on her list of things to protect, Maurice. You have to-"

"I need her to believe in me." The words came out of him a low whisper. Rose stopped her rant and looked at her son, his elbows on the bar his face in his hands. "I can't do anything if Faith doesn't-."

"Maurice Lewis Boscorelli that woman has done nothing but believe in you since the moment you met!"

He thought back, her long blond hair swept over the books as she repeated the questions from the academy training manual to him. Grinning encouragingly as he started to commit them to memory. _You can do this._ She'd always been the one. She'd always been his constant.

"She's scared Ma." He looked back up at her. "She doesn't think I can do this."

"Baby I've seen her scared. I watched her those three months that you laid there and fought your way back to us. She was scared then but she never stopped believing in you. Not for one moment. Everyone else slowly started stopping their visits, go on with there lives, resolve themselves to the idea that you weren't coming back. Not Faith. I have to tell you Baby, there were moments that I was ready to throw in the towel." She ignored the remorseful look on her son's face and continued. "I'd breakdown and she'd just nod at me calmly and have an officer take me home. _I'll be by to get you in the morning Rose. _Then she'd go right back to you, stroke your face and tell you I'd be alright. I was just tired. I'd feel better in the morning. _Don't worry,_ she'd tell you,_ I'll be right here._" She shook her head slowly at the memory. "There is no way in hell your wife is ever going to loose her faith in you."

He nodded at her, his mouth slipping open softly with unsaid words. She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"I'm gonna call you a cab Baby."

* * *

She was curled up on the couch when he made his way through the door. Her damp eyes lifted to his as he dropped his wallet and keys onto the table and slipped across the room and dropped beside her, reaching his arm along the edge of the couch until he gripped at the fabric of her top and pulled her towards him. She came willingly into his lap, her hands desperately caressing his cheeks as their foreheads met.

"I'm sorry." She told him in a soft hoarse whisper.

"Why for being scared?" He clung to her, his hands digging into the soft flesh under he ribs. "You can be scared." She let out the sob she was holding. "Hell Faith I'm terrified."

"Don't worry." She said softly, tears dripping from her cheeks onto his as she stroked them off again. "I'll be right here."

His mind pictured her, in that hospital room four years before, the picture his mother had painted in his mind.

"That's all I need." He said calmly, kissing her softly on her lips before pulling back and kissing her red eyes.

* * *

"That Damn.. You have got to be kidding me?!" Faith yelled into the phone, Bosco rolled onto his back, blinking into the darkeness of the room. "Davis.. I want his ass you understand me? I want his ass." She huffed. "Give me ten."

He could hear the phone close as she stomped around the room, pulling on her clothes. He rubbed at the dull ache in his skull, before catching her as she brushed by his side of the bed.

"I gotta go."

"Break?" He managed to squeeze out swallowing hard.

"'Nother body." The case consumed her, and he knew it would as long as bodies kept popping up with out suspects. "I gotta.."

"Be careful." He mumbled, his words crashing into one another as her lips dropped down on his before she rushed out.

"Kay.."

* * *

Miller was screaming. That's what pulled him out of the stupor that he was in. The throbbing confusion in his brain is pierced by her cry. He stumbled out of the bed, his body crashing into the wall beside it. 

He fumbled for the light switch, the pain sending him cursing to his knees.

Miller's still screaming when he pulls himself up, using the wall to guide him down the small hallway. His body still buckling, twisting his way to the nursery. His hand clutched his head, as his body dropped unceremoniously to the carpet, Faith's name forcing it's way out of his lips before he passed out completely.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N..**

**I know I know.. I don't want him to be blind either.. my stories write themselves.. and my story bosco says he can't see a damn thing...**

**Damn it.**

**It's Cruz's fault really.. I blame her.. i don't know how.. cause.. she's _DEAD_ but it's her I blame.. always.. for everything..**

* * *

"Charlie.." It's all the hoarse voice said and Fred almost hung up.

"He's not here." He moaned. "You know it's three thirty in the morning right? Charlie generally take phone calls between-." It was then that his mind realized that the baby screaming in the back ground probably disqualified all of Charlie's friends. "Bosco?"

"I... Mill..." The other man's words slured across the line.

"Bosco? Is Miller okay?"

"Can't-.."

"Listen Bosco I'm coming okay." Fred Yokas bolted up right jaring his wife awake.

"What's wro-."

"I gotta go to Faith's. Call Charlie on his cell-." He stepped into his pants, grabbing his wallet and heading towards the door

"I'm coming with you." His wife whispered, grabbing a disgarded sweater and following quickly in his wake.

* * *

Ty swallowed hard, pulling himself out of the car and walking slowly towards his partner.

"We're missing something here." She shook her head starring out at the crime scene blankly. "I wanna go back to the one on Mana and see-."

"Faith.."

"-if maybe we can't see something that Ginger missed."

"Faith.."

"I know.. I know but I can't help it. I feel like I've been playing catch up on this case since I came back from maternity-."

"Faith." He grabbed her arm, turning his serious gaze on her.

"Oh God." She breathed, her eyes widening when she saw his face.

"We've gotta go to Mercy."

* * *

"Fred?"

"Faith." He pulled himself to his feet and turned to face his ex-wife.

"Where's my baby?"

"Caroline took her back to your apartment." He nodded his bald head, she put her hand on his arm and moved past him.

"She's okay?"

"She's fine." He assured.

"Bosco?" She looked towards the set of rooms before them.

"He's-." Fred looked down, his hands firmly planted on his hips. "The doctor'll be right back."

"What aren't you telling me?" She turned back towards him. "Tell me."

He started to open his mouth, swinging an arm up and pointing behind her before any sound came out.

"Mrs. Boscorelli?"

"Yeah.." She looked at the woman beside him. "Mary where's Bosco?"

"He's resting Faith." Mary Proctor nodded at the woman. "This is Dr. Vance."

"I'd like to speak to you before you see him." The man said softly, glancing up at Fred.

"I'm gonna.." He put his hand softly on her shoulder. "We'll stay with Miller."

She touched his hand, nodding but not looking up as he walked away.

"In here?" The doctor gestured to the little room. She shook her head and looked at Mary.

"I wanna see him." She told her.

"Faith he's out cold." Nurse Proctor smiled slightly. "We'll go after."

"Mrs. Boscorelli what do you know about your husbands condition?"

"More than I want to." She confessed rubbing her face with her hand. She didn't like Mercy. It made her uncomfortable. It made her remember. She looked around nervously.

"Faith you alright?" Mary whispered sweetly.

"Can I have some water?" She asked softly. The woman nodded, hurrying off.

"Should I continue?"

"Please." Faith huffed impatiently, her wary eyes sweeping the room.

"I spoke with your husbands neurologist. How much do you know about Post Concussion Syndrome and Traumatic Brain injury?" Mary returned, handing her a cup of water.

"They're taking him upstairs." Faith started to get up, Mary pressed her back into the chair. "He's sedated Faith, it's okay." 

She dropped back into her seat and looked at the doctor.

"I know a little.." She bit her lip. "but he doesn't have the neurological symptoms that-."

"He does Faith." Mary whispered. She swallowed hard, looking up at her.

"Mixed with the condition of his vision-. It's like he's at war with himself."

"What are you saying?"

"Faith, we think Bosco's vision has passed the point of being legally blind for a while now." Mary whispered softly. "He's been doing a pretty good job fighting it but.."

"I'm assuming it's become increasingly difficult for him to make out movement, shapes, shades." The doctor continued. "When he was brought into the ER his heart rate was 230. The amount of pain he's been dealing with is.. for lack of a better word? Impressive."

Mary snickered and Faith looked up at her.

"That's Bosco." She told Faith with a smile. "Impressive."

"Or Idiotic." His wife muttered with a little grin.

"His body's making a choice." The doctor continued.

"I don't understand."

"Upon examination he's pupils were nonreactive."

"Nonreactive?"

"He can't see Faith." Mary whispered.

"We're going to play with some of his medications see what we can do for the pain, but I have a feeling that with out the added pressures of his eyesight the symptoms will start to fade." Faith nodded slowly. Mary watched her lost expression. " He may have more panic attacks at first, but like I said we can adjust the medications."

"He's.. he doesn't like the.." Faith looked at the doctor, before shifting her eyes to Mary.

"I remember." The nurse said softly.

"Ironic.. a blind man afraid of the dark." She whispered to the table.

"I'll take you up there." Mary whispered slowly, dropping her hand on Faith's shoulder.

* * *

"He's pretty out of it, even for Bosco." Mary grinned a little as she pushed the door open. "Dannella's his nurse tonight. I filled her in on things. She knows you're the boss."

"Thank you Mary." She said for the hundredth time, creeping into the dark room, her hand fluttered to the light switch, pausing there for a moment. It had been well over a year since she'd slept in a completely dark room. Taking a slow breath she moved her hand away gripping the bed's railing before expertly pulling it up and letting it slip down.

He didn't stir when she slipped into the bed beside him, stroking his cheek with her index finger before breaking into sobs and curling into his chest.

She was asleep long before Dannella made her way into the room, pulled up the side rail, checked the IV and left them alone.


	21. Chapter 21

"Mom?"

Faith made an attempt to roll onto her back, her eyes snapping open when she came in contact with the cold metal railing.

Mercy.. Bosco.. Em..

She turned her head towards the door. Her daughter stood there, pulling her sunglasses from her head and stashing them in her purse. Behind her Charlie was already pacing, rubbing his hands over his curly brown hair.

She turned back to her husband, giving his sleeping form a quick once over before attempting to lower the bed rail. Emily watched her struggle for a second before moving to help her.

"How do I?"

"Pull it up and it'll fold down." She whispered quickly, swinging her legs over the side as Emily dropped the rail.

"Where's your sister?"

"Dad and Caroline took her to their place." Faith nodded for a second. "I said I'd pick her up on my way back."

Emily gave her stepfather a quick look before hugging her mother. Faith squeezed her quickly before pulling her to the door.

"Is he okay?" Charlie asked mournfully tilting his head into the room.

"He's resting." Faith whispered. What the hell did okay mean?

"I shoulda just stayed home." He huffed.

"Charlie this isn't your fault."

"I knew something was wrong when I left." He protested. "I shouldn't have been in Boston. I should have been at home."

"Hey!" Faith pulled her son to her. "This is not your fault."

"I just want him to be okay." He muttered into her shoulder.

"It's Bosco. He'll be fine." She whispered back kissing his forehead. "But he's going to be out for a while so I want you guys to get Miller and go home. I'll call you later."

Emily's face fell for a second, shifting her eyes to the hospital room.

"Are you sure?" She turned back to her mom, and Faith smiled.

"Yes. Take care of your bother and sister." She kissed her cheek before turning back to Charlie. "No more crazy talk. I need you two to watch out for Millie. Thank your Dad and Caroline." She turned back to the room before turning back to her daughter. "Wait. Em?" She fished her hand into her pocket and pulled out a few singles. "I need you to go to that flower shop by Elliot Bakery. You know where I'm talking about?"

"Mom.. You can't be serious." Emily moaned realizing where her mom was going with this.

"Em.."

"I'll do it." Charlie muttered hoarsely from behind his sister. Her eyes flipped to him, studying her son. He smiled softly at her and she kissed him again, watching them leave waiting until they'd turned the corner.

"You didn't have to do that." Came a quiet reply from the bed. She spun back towards him.

"You're awake." She said softly, slipping back to the side of the bed. He turned his body towards hers.

"When you got up it got cold." He told her with a little grin. She watched his eyes move uselessly, slowly bringing her hand towards his cheek. "You didn't-."

"It's important to you." She whispered as he pressed his face deeper into her hand.

"You're important to me." He sighed.

"Boz.." Her voice broke a little and his arms slipped around her gently. She opened her mouth apologies dying on her lips as he drew his thumb over her them.

"Shh.." He scooted closer, replacing his fingers with a soft kiss. "Stop." He took a staggered breath. "Miller's with Fred?" She nodded slowly, moving her lips over the tears. He chuckled, stroking his thumb over her cheek. "You're probably going to have to start talking out loud, Baby."

"Shut up." She choked. "Miller's with Fred."

"She okay?" He swallowed hard, she started to nod again, he snickered as she groaned.

"Caroline had her checked in the ER just to be sure. Mary said she's fine." He swallowed again, nodding his head quickly. "So what you get to nod?"

"Faith.. I am… so sorry" He licked his lips in a failed attempt at composure.

"Hey, she's fine."

"Okay."

"How are you?" She asked tentatively, running her hand over his temple. He bit back the urge to say _fine._ A grin tugged at his lips _blind_ probably wouldn't be much better. "Boz?"

"I feel better."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He sighed, his thumb still brushing her lip as he rolled onto his back, letting his other arm flop onto the bed.

"Careful you have an IV." She scolded.

"No shit?" He remarked sarcastically, his eyelids fluttering in true Bosco fashion. She waited for his lips to pucker and smiled when they did.

"Yes… and it's currently pumping the narcotics that you seem to be enjoying into your system. You might not want to fuck with it."

"Point made." He scoffed, tilting his head toward her with a sly smirk. "It's weird."

"What?"

"I keep wanting to ask you to turn the light on." He let his fingers slip down to her throat as she swallowed back her tears. He traced the hollow spot with his finger tip. "That's it huh? It's done?"

She lifted her hand to his, clasping it and bringing it to her chest, her head bobbing up and down a few times.

"You're nodding again aren't you?" He smiled slowly when she huffed out a muffled groan. Bosco pulled their hands to his lips and kissed hers before pulling her to his chest. "I'm gonna have to keep your body close to mine." He teased softly. "So I don't miss anything."

"How are you so okay with this?" She felt the words squeak out of her lips. Bosco shrugged his shoulders, kissing her forehead.

"What're you gonna do?" He muttered. She propped herself up and looked at him suspiciously.

"What kind of drugs did they give you?" She asked shaking her head quickly back and forth. He chuckled before swallowing grimly.

"I don't know what else-." His voice broke and he swallowed again swatting at a sudden tear that made it's way to his cheek. She dropped back down to the bed her free hand tuning his face into her shoulder before slipping into his hair. "What're you gonna do, you know?"

She sniffed again. Nodding into his shoulder, smiling when she felt his cheek twitch against the side of her own.

"Yeah." She said with more gusto than she felt, kissing him softly.

* * *

"Here. Here." Charlie rounded the corner, looking into the room from across the hall. His step-father felt along the edge of the bag, holding his hand up to his mom. 

"I got it." He whispered patiently.

"Just let me-." She fluttered, her hand hovering over his.

"Baby, I got it." Bosco asserted with more force, carefully moving his hand away.

"Kay." Her fingers balled into a fist as he found the zipper and started the bag closed.

"See.." He breathed, pulling the zipper to a stop and gesturing at it dramatically.

"Sorry.." His mom's voice close to tears.

"Faith.." Bosco whispered softly, as he reached his hand out towards her.

"No, I am." She muttered attempting to step back from him, he caught her wrists and gave her a tug.

"Come here.."

"Boz." She moaned, her body not belaying the protest she'd given as it slid to his.

"It's alright, Faith." Charlie watched her eyes scrunch up into tight wrinkles. She opened them again, her teary gaze falling on him.

"Charlie." His mother mumbled to Bosco. He pulled back slowly, kissing her forehead as he did. "Hey."

"Hi. I.." He looked from his mother to his step father and back again. "We came to pick you up."

"Where's your sister?"

"She's got Miller in the car. Something about germs."

"The baby's in the car?" Bosco asked, his voice soft and far away. Charlie nodded, Faith smiled. "He's nodding.." Bosco asked his wife in a mixture of amusement and frustration.

"Er, sorry. She's-. Yeah, she's in the car." He murmured.

"She's missing you." Faith whispered. "This morning it was all Dada."

"All day." Charlie chuckled.

Bosco's face twitched into half a grin, before her his teeth swiped at his lower lip. Faith reached for his hand, taking it loosely in hers.

"Ready?" She asked as he took a deep breath and tightened his grasp on her.

"How we gonna do this?" He whispered to her.

"You're gonna walk out of here." She said softly. He grinned again, his arm sliding around her waist as she clasped his other hand tightly in hers.

"You lead I'll follow." He whispered to her.

"Deal." She whispered back as Charlie took the bag from the bed. "Slowly."

"Not too slow." He muttered.

"Hey.. I'm leading."

"Whatever."

* * *

He moved his hands slowly along the wall, feeling out the edges as he made his way to the end of the hall in a bizarre haze of Dejá vu. He could hear Miller screaming, followed by Faith's near hysterical comforting. 

"Come on Sweetie. It's alright." She begged as his hand came to rest in the door way.

"How are you holding her?" He whispered.

"Hey." She gulped, her voice full of surprise and fake confidence. "Where's Charlie?"

"Asleep on the other end of the couch. You okay in here?"

"Don't.. um.." She paused. "Let me put her down and I'll help you back-."

"I've been sitting on that couch for six hours Faith." He sighed. "How you holdin' her?"

"On my shoulder."

"She likes to face out."

"Out?"

"Yeah. Let her sit on your lap." He listened to her wrestle with the yelling baby before Miller's screeches became more pronounced.

"Dadadadadada!"

"I don't think it was as much how she was being held as who was holding her." Faith told him breathlessly, he heard the chair creek as Miller's yells got closer. He straightened himself out in the doorway.

"Faith."

"Hold your daughter."

"Faith I.."

"Bosco you been home all day and you haven't-."

"I-. Faith don't make me-."

"Dadadada!"

"Make you?"

"I'm not ready."

"She is."

"Faith I let her down. I-."

"You didn't let her down Boz, but your letting her down right now." The panicked tears in his wife's voice struck him. Chubby little fingers grasping at his cheeks, made him shake.

"I can't.. I ca-." His breath ragged, he backed up against the wall.

"Dadadada!"

"It's okay, Baby." Faith's words, far from calm as her hand pressed against his chest. "Bosco breathe." Little finger prints burning into his neck.

"Dadadada!"

They dropped to the floor simultaneously, his hand touching Faith's tears mingling into Miller's hair and down her already damp face. Bosco's ragged breath worsening as he reached out blindly and grasped the baby to him.

"It's okay." Faith promises curling him into her, cocooning them both beneath her chin. "It's gonna be okay."

He kissed his daughters face as he clutched her to him, her crying subsiding as his intensifies.

"I couldn't get to her. I just left her there." He chokes, reaching up one hand to grasp the wrist of the arm Faith supports him with. "She was screaming and screaming and I couldn't-."

"She's okay." Faith told him, her lips pressing into the top of his head. "It's Okay. She's fine."

"I'm so scared." He sobbed, turning until he was in her lap, the baby curled into his side, clinging to him. Faith's fingers stroked his hair, tenderly, forgivingly. He let it calm him. "I'm so scared Faith."

* * *

"Hello?" Faith grabbed at her phone, lifting her body away from her husband and child asleep in the bed next to her. 

"Mrs. Boscorelli?"

"Yes." She whispered softly.

"My name is Karen Spence. I'm with the American Council of the Blind."

"Um.." Faith cast another look at Bosco before scrambling out from under the blankets and into the hallway.

"I was hoping that we could set up a meeting time for your family." Faith froze.

"Meeting time?"

"Yes. To see how your all adjusting."

"Adjusting?"

"I assumed Dr. Juokes had told you I'd be calling."

"Um.. Yes. I just didn't realize it would be so soon." Faith hummed, starting to move again into the hallway.

"We're a very good resource Mrs. Boscore-"

"Faith."

"What?"

"Call me Faith."

"Oh.. Okay.. I'm Karen. I was just saying that we provide support that families in crisis often-."

"We're not in crisis." Faith interrupted.

"Then you're an unusual case." The woman said frankly.

"We're adjusting okay. We're not in need of any-."

"Faith?" She paused waiting for the woman to continue. "Life doesn't have to be like this. There are programs in place. Places that Maurice can go to learn how to live with his-."

"He's not going anywhere." She turned and looked back into the bedroom.

"It's important that he learn skills to keep him-."

She hung up. Folding the phone in her hand and gripping it tightly, her eyes in the bedroom. The didn't need any help.


	22. Chapter 22

"Weed." Bosco felt the slap of the book against his leg, clambering up to her father's lap. Bosco let his head drop back.

"Which one?" He groaned, his mouth handing open as he flipped the book up towards the teenager working on his homework at the table.

"Goodnight Moon."

"Super." He exhaled in a loud quick huff and opened the board book.

"In the great green room there was a.."

"NO!" Miller screeched, her body arching against him.

"What?" Bosco muttered softly. "I'm reading."

"No!" She shouted again, her chubby fingers clawing at the book.

"What? Daddy's read this book about five hundred times in the last 16 months, Mil. I think I got it down now. There's a room and some pictures and a bowl of oatmeal someone left for dead.."

She stiffened again, sliding down his leg. He fought to pull her back up.

"MAAAMMMAA!" She screeched in the most accusatory manor Bosco could imagine a baby using.

"What?!" He muttered again before turning to Charlie. "A little help!"

The boy lifted his head again, quietly examining the scene unfolding on the couch. He shrugged his shoulders briefly, his eyes falling on the blue and red board book.

"'S upside down." He said softly, his head dipping back down to his paper, not wanting to see the look of self disgust that he knew would land on the other man's face.

Bosco turned the book slowly in his hands until Miller stilled, happily slapping the cover as if she'd finally gotten that dumb ass Daddy of hers on the same page.

He opened it defeated, gaging her reaction before beginning. His voice was no longer put out, but remorseful. "In the great green room there was.."

* * *

The door creaked open and he heard her make her way quietly into the room, dropping her stuff in the doorway.

"So I was an idiot to my one and a half year old today." Bosco whispered softly from his spot on the couch. Smirking when she gasped at his words. "Sorry."

"Why are you sitting here in the dar-." She began, still catching her breath. He snickered.

"Not a whole lot of point in wasting the electricity, Yokas." He said dryly.

"You been drinkin'?" She asked tentatively, moving closer. He heard her click on the lamp. He tried to remember the face that went with that tone.

"No Faith. I'm Bosco remember? Fred was two weddings ago." He winced at the words as they came off his tongue, wondering if she noticed his remorse. He swallowed hard, opening his mouth to apologize.

"I could use a beer. You wanna beer?" The ease of her tone made him feel like a bigger ass.

"I could go for that." He said softly. "Maybe I'll be a nicer drunk."

"Doubtful." She sighed as the seal of the refrigerator disengaged with a smack. "We got Heineken, Sam Adams pale and.. somethin' Emily brought with her from Boston in the garage."

"Somethin' like Budweiser?"

"Somethin' like a girlie Honey Wheat, I'm sure."

"Give me the Sam Adams."

"Oh! There's bourbon in the bedroom." She sounded excited.

"What the hell do you think it is Christmas?" He teased, she laughed at the memory. "Why the hell is it in the bedroom?"

"I may or may not have had it stashed under the bed for a while." She sighed, slipping onto the couch next to him.

"Should I be worried about you pullin' a Fred?" He looped his arm around her waist.

"Hardly." She exhaled slowly. "So.. you're an idiot?"

"I'm driving the kids nuts. Emily's sure I'm about to dial Kevorkian, Charlie's put out sighs are so damn loud they shake the house and Miller thinks I'm an idiot."

"I could quit my job." She breathed, he listened to the bottle clink against her teeth as she took another sip. "We could move to Miami and sell surfboards."

"Surfboards?"

"Don't they surf in Miami?"

"You got bourbon hidden under your desk at work too?" He screwed his face up and she laughed again. "Bad day?"

"We solved it." She whispered softly.

"What?" He turned towards her. "That's great."

"Yeah.."

"It's not great?"

"He's young. Just a kid." Her voice hitched a little and he pressed his lips together to keep from saying 'so'. "Charlie's age."

"Drivers permit in one hand glock in the other?"

"Yeah.. I guess."

"Faith."

"I hated this guy. I hated him. I wanted to kill him myself." She took a deep breath he reached out slowly grabbing her arm and easing down it to her hand. "Then in the end he's just a kid you know?"

"You've seen things like that before." He tried to sound soothing, feeling the weight of her head on his chest.

"I know." She rubbed her cheek against him, as if she could get closer.

"Faith?"

"Ty was really shaken up."

"He's startin' to be able to see TJ at that age." Bosco guessed.

"Yeah."

"Faith..?" He heard her hesitate, feeling the dampness of her tears through his shirt.

"I missed you out there today." She admitted softly.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his fingers tentatively finding her face, drawing his thumbs against her tears.

"You're here now." She murmured, her eyelashes brushing against his fingertips.

"Yeah." He tried to sound convinced, gripping her a little tighter.

* * *

"Well you look like crap." Faith raised her eyebrows at her husband as he flopped onto the couch in worn frog boxers with several fonts of the words 'kiss this' scattered across them.

"Good think I can't see myself then." He replied gruffly rubbing his hand down his unshaven face.

"Yeah.." Faith walked the short distance from the kitchen and stood above him, legs straddled over his. "But I still do." He moved his hands to her hips almost instinctively.

"How hard that must be for you." He croaked, as her hands found his.

"Nearly impossible." She muttered hauling him to his feet.

"Where we going?"

"Bathroom." She muttered like he was stupid.

"To?"

"Get you cleaned up." Again with the duhh voice.

"Faith-."

"Like I said I gotta look at you." She was smirking and he could tell. Bosco let her lead him towards the hall.

"Whatever." He sighed in mock exasperation.

She sat him on the toilet seat, turning towards him as she wet the comb.

"I should get it shaved off." He sighed as she started in on the unruly locks.

"I like it like this." She told him, tilting his chin up so she could see his face.

"Better?"

"Almost." She muttered giving the can of shaving cream a shake before spraying it into her cupped hand.

"Faith.." His voice was dubious as she started smoothing it on his cheeks.

"What? All the sudden you don't trust me?" She tried to sound hurt but his lips cracked into a smile and she knew she'd failed. She was glad he couldn't see the way she looked at the razor, biting her lip as she brought it towards him, once again straddling his thighs. Once again his hands went to her hips. "Hold still."

"Not a problem." He whispered.

"I mean it." She swallowed hard.

"So do I." She felt his grip tense as she laid the razor against his jaw, slowly drawing it downward. She sighed in relief during the second stroke and he smirked.

"Stop moving." He could feel her breath on the cool skin she'd just uncovered, still tingling from the blade and the shaving cream. She shifted again against his legs, one hand holding his head at an angle as she drew the tool back again. He listened to her inhale, holding her breath until she'd completed her stroke. His hands moved up to her waist, skimming under the softness of her top and onto her smooth skin. "I think I said something about holding still." She huffed, blowing pieces of her hair against his chest. He let his eyes slip shut moving his thumbs in slow easy strokes against her ribcage. "How do I do this part?" She whispered, drawing her finger into the divot under his nose. His lips flipped into a smile.

"Very carefully?" He whispered, the smile slipping into his voice.

"Boz." She sighed, bemused.

"Like this." His voice distorted as he parted his lips, stretching the top one out until the skin was flat, he hooked his knuckles, drawing them over the spots in two strokes. She reached out slowly, drawing back the razor in two strokes just like he had, before running her thumb over the spot. "Better."

"Much." Her breath hitched as his hands skimmed higher beneath her shirt. His finger tips slowly cruising over the silk of her bra. He breathed in her soft scent as she leaned in closer to him. He brought his lips to hers, slowly at first, before removing his hands from her chest and grasping her wrist slowly taking the razor from her. "Careful." His lips silenced hers. He reached to his left, feeling the edge of the sink and dropping it in. He tugged at her shirt until it had slipped off and onto the floor. "Bedroom."

"No way." He grinned at her one word responses.

"What?"

"Can't do sexy walking and kissing thing when you're blind." He kissed her neck, pulling back to her lips for a second. "Too clumsy. Not sexy."

"Ooo and the bathroom's so sexy." She purred as he fussed the clasp of her bra.

"You're sexy." He muttered, drawing his hands down, smoothing in and out of the curves and dips of her body. His mouth pulled into a wide grin when she moaned. Bosco tugged at the drawstring of her pants and they fell to the floor. He stood up when she tugged at his boxers, letting her pull them free, shuffling to step away from them. He brought himself back until he could feel the cold porcelain behind his knees. He didn't want to miss it as he brought her down with him. "So so very sexy."

"Bosco." She breathed hot against his skin their bodies coming together with a quick force.

"I love you." He whispered, rolling his hands over her hips as she rocked. "God Faith I love you."

He tried to remember what she looked like in these moments. His mind flashing on strips of golden and honey hair as their tips brushed against his eager fingers. He pictured the curve of her back as it slid from his palms. He focused on the even softness of her breasts against his chest in rhythmic breaths, his mind recreating them for him.

Letting a small whimper escape his lips he pressed his head into her picking up his pace. Her arms reflexively closing around him pulling him to her now slick body.

"Bosco.."

"I..don't let me go.." His nails scraped against the backs of her shoulders with desperate gentleness. "Please.."

" I.." She panted, her face nuzzling into his neck, perfect skin slipping past his jaw as she closed her lips over his ear lobe. "I won't ever.." She promised him urging his body deeper into hers. "Boz." Her heart beat sound against his ear, lulling him into almost intoxicated stupor. "Bosco.." She hummed, grinding hard against him. She was close and for that he was thankful. His hands swept down her back grabbing at her thighs and pulling her in to him. She cried out, her body shuttering against him, hands gripping and releasing the muscles of his shoulders. "Bosco.."

Her low breathy sigh of contentment is what finished him and he mets her lips as his breath calmed.

"Can we do that clumsy walk to the bedroom now?" She whispered, her chest still heaving.

"You're the boss."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast."

"You turned the oven on?"

"Yeah.."

"How'd you-?" She sounded genuinely puzzled, he didn't know whether to be amused or insulted.

"I can still do this Faith." He stuck out his hand and turned the invisible knob in the air in front of her.

"How'd you know.. how long and what temperature and stuff?" She was flustered, he realized taking a step towards where she was. He could feel his breath quicken, she thought he couldn't turn on a stove with out her holding his hand.

"Faith.. I lived by myself for 20 years. I've got the frozen French toast sticks routine down." He fought to keep his voice even, bothered, unfazed, as he turned back towards the stove.

"You do this when I'm not here?" Her voice rose a little.

"Eat?" He pressed his lips together, rubbing his face as he disappeared further into the kitchen.

"I'm not so sure about you.. cooking.. alone." She huffed out following him into the kitchen.

"Faith, back off okay?" He pleaded, his hand reached the wall in front of him, he pushed his palm against it.

"Back off? What if something happened? What if you were alone here and something went wrong?" Her voice skipped the middle octaves and went right to the top. He winced. "I'm not supposed to think about those things? You here alone while the house burns down?"

"When the hell am I ever alone!" He broke away from the wall, his useless eyes sweeping the area in front of him. "Hell Faith! You don't even go to the bathroom until Charlie gets home!" He pushed past her and out of the kitchen, his hands dragging against the wall until it ended. "You.. you.. hover around me.. I can't fucking breathe half the time. You.." He felt her hand on his arm steering him to the left. "See! Just stop it! Stop-." He shrugged her off just before his shin came in contact with the coffee table, the loud noise startling him almost as much as the pain. "Son of a-!"

"Let me help you."

"You're not listening. I'm sick of your help!" He winced, limping backwards as his hands frantically searched out the couch. "I hate this Faith. I can't stand this!"

"YOU THINK I LIKE THIS!" She screamed. "I.. I can't close my eyes for two seconds, can't turn my back. I have to constantly constantly be watching and waiting for some horrifying-. Do you know what's it's like? Watching you struggle? Seeing you like this?"

He could hear Miller's startled screech from her crib, Faith made no move in that direction. He could still hear her staggered breath.

"I don't know Faith tell me what it's like still being able to see me at all!" He spit, gulping in air as his head hit the back of the couch. He heard the air rush into her lungs and the strangled cry she attempted to stifle. "I'm forgetting."

"Forgetting?" She whispered.

"The way your eyes look when you're completely freaked out. When you're mad. The way Miller looks when she laughs.." He huffed out, feeling his hands start to shake, hearing her move forward. He scooted away. "Baby's crying." He told her lamely.

"You're bleeding." Her voice was right above him now.

"I'll live." He told her dismissively. He could tell she was holding her breath, fighting not to cry. "Go get her."

She walked away slowly, he listened to the boards creak beneath her feet. He was surprised when she returned a few minutes later. He listened to Millie chatter at her as she walked around the entry way. Gathering things.

"Come on Baby." She whispered, her voice strained with the effort of picking up the baby. He felt her come closer. "Say bye to Daddy." His head jerked towards her as Miller's sticky face touched his, followed by Faith's damp cheek..

"What are you doing?" He hoped he didn't sound as alarmed as he felt.

"Leaving you alone." She said calmly. His mouth dropping open slightly. "Don't burn your breakfast."

He listened to the door close then to the hushed sound of the townhouse. Standing slowly he winced at the pain in his leg before moving back to the kitchen and pulling open the oven. He felt for the pot holder, still managing to touch the pan as he lifted it, letting it clatter onto the stove top.

"Damn it." He hissed, his voice echoing. For once there was no concerned call from Faith, no awkward mummer of fearfulness from Charlie, just silence. And it scared the shit out of him.

* * *

"Hey." Charlie dropped his backpack on the floor and started towards the kitchen. His stepfather didn't reply, he just stared straight ahead. Looking at nothing, Charlie thought swallowing hard. "Uncle B?"

"Yeah." He muttered his head bobbing down as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Where's Mom?" He asked cautiously, moving towards him.

"She's gone." He shrugged.

"Gone?" Charlie eased down next to him as if he was going to explode.

"She took your sister and left." Bosco nodded his head, his shoulders dropping forward as he did.

"When she comin' back?" Charlie tried not to panic.

"No idea." He laughed, shaking his head slowly.

"What happened to you're hand?" Bosco lifted it slowly turning it around before dropping the bag of melted ice on the coffee table.

"Burnt it."

"When?" Charlie reached out, pulling Bosco's hand towards his face and looking at the nasty little mark. "On what?"

"Six hours ago." He shrugged, lips pursed. "Oven." He grimaced, lifting his leg letting in drop with a bang next to the ice.

"What did you-?"

"Coffee table attacked me." He murmured.

"Your pants are all bloody."

"Figures." Bosco sighed leaning his head back. "You know how your mom had cancer. When you were little she had-."

"Yeah." Charlie bit his lip hard, trying to edge out the panic. He didn't trust himself to ask why Bosco was bringing this up. The last thing they needed was for them to both be hysterical.

"She.. she.. didn't tell me." He rubbed his palms over his eyes. "She just.. I was so damn mad.." Charlie watched Bosco's chest rise. "I remember goin' off to my Ma about it. How she turned to your dad and not me. Why not me.." The man turned his head towards him now, blind eyes moving unused towards his face. "She kept muttering about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. You read that?"

"In sixth grade."

"Something about sparing people you love.. sending them away. Loving and needing being too separate things."

"Something like that. She sends away the boy so he won't see her suffer." Charlie remembered. "Cause she loves him more. She has the girl stay.. cause she needs _someone_."

"You sure remember a hell of a lot from a book you read five years ago."

"Mom loves that book." Charlie told him softly, his eyebrows raise with an understanding nod.

"I thought she didn't trust me. Didn't want me there." Bosco swallowed. "I was wrong wasn't I?" He turned his face up to the ceiling again. "She was trying to protect me from it."

"I don't understand." Charlie looked towards the door, half praying half begging his mom to walk through it.

"I need you to drive me to my Ma's." He said softly, standing up and wandering towards the bedroom.

"Sure."


	23. Chapter 23

Sorry it took me so long. I wasn't happy with this chapter. I promise I'll post soon. Please review.

Lori

* * *

"She's going to come looking for you. I'm not going to lie for you Maurice."

"I left her a message." He muttered, rubbing his face. "I didn't run away."

"This little stunt isn't going to work, Baby. You-."

"It's not a stunt, Ma." He lifted his head slowly. "Faith's always tried to spare me. I'm just sparing her this time."

"You're sparing her?" He listened to his mother pace across the floor. "By leaving her?"

"Ma-."

"By leaving your little girl?"

"I.. I don't know what else to-."

"You figure it out together Maurice not apart." He huffed at her words.

"I'm not sure you're qualified to give me marriage advice." He hissed. Her footsteps halted and he moaned.

"You're right." She said frankly. "You maybe your wife can get through to you."

"Hey Rose." Faith's voice slipped into the room, Bosco bit his lip.

"He's all yours."

"I got your message." She said softly, slipping onto the couch beside him. "Did you really quote Betty Smith to me?"

"Faith..I told you not to come here."

"Ah yes, To spare me." She sniffed. "Where in that head of yours-?"

"You're head." He snorted. "I'm following the Faith Boscorelli method." He shook his head. "I'm sorry Faith I didn't understand. "

"That makes two of us."

"You were trying to protect me." He took a deep breath. "With the cancer, when you got shot, when you had the abortion, when John died. I think it's time that I start protecting you."

"Bosco.." His face broke she reached out, drawing her hands down his face. "I don't want to be protected. I want to be with you." He shook his head feeling her fingers wrap around his jaw, pulling it back to her. "I need to be with you."

"We can't go on like this Faith." He swallowed the sob, but the tears still slipped down his face and over her fingers. "I can't go on like this." His voice broke as he dropped against her body. "I can't Faith."

"It's okay." She whispered softly. "I'm gonna get us help."

* * *

"Yes I need to speak to Karen Spencer." Faith whispered, her eyes falling on where Bosco slept, mouth open, shirt off with Miller wedged between him and the back of the couch, her little fingers twirling sleepily in his hair.

"This is she."

"Yes.. My name is Faith Boscorelli, I spoke with you a few months ago-."

"Faith. Hi. Is everything alright?"

"No.. nothings right." She grimaced, her teeth running over her lower lip. "Nothings right.."

"Faith, is anyone in immediate danger?"

"My husband tried to leave me today. That immediate enough?"

"I meant physically."

"He burnt himself and bled all over my hardwood floors earlier today but I think we're in the clear."

"James once accidentally turned the self cleaner on the oven and we all almost died of asphyxiation." She said frankly. Faith froze. "He though he'd turned the light on. The switches are right next to each other."

"James?"

"James is my husband Faith. He lost his sight ten years ago in an accident" She told her calmly. "I don't think you gave me enough time to explain last time we talked."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright I don't think I let Nancy get out the whole name of the organization. Nancy's my mentor."

"And you're mine?"

"I'd like to be."

"I'd like that too."

* * *

"I got to do this Faith, it's my last chance. You know that." He muttered, his face turned towards the window of the car. He could hear her breathing, erratic and scared. "If we're ever gonna have any kind of life.."

"I know." Shit. She was crying. She'd been crying pretty steadily since Karen had suggested him going to the center. She'd bawled when he'd agreed to go, leaving the room in an attempt to hide it. James had taken a deep breath, his voice turning to him.

"_You're lucky."_ He'd told him. "_Karen threw her purse at me when I said I'd go_."

"Please don't cry." He whispered, reaching his hand across the seat until it found hers.

"I'm not." She lied, sniffing back what was left of her tears. A slow grin tugged at his face.

"Faith." He chuckled, squeezing her hand. He could picture her face now. The little dips under her eyes that she got when she cried. He knew she'd be swiping angrily at her eyes, like they'd betrayed her by falling in the first place. It never failed that in his memory she was in her uniform, her hair fixed to the top of her head in a tight bun.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked suddenly, he let the other side of his mouth lift into a full smile before rolling his head back towards her.

"You." He pulled at her hand until she let him bring it to his lips. "I'm thinkin' about how sexy you are in uniform."

"Uh..!" She grunted pulling their hands back towards her. "You are such a liar."

"No. You were hot." He teased. "All boxy and buttoned up. Especially in the winter."

"Stop it." He listened to the soft laughter in his voice. Mission accomplished.

"Hair all glued to the sides of your head... it was all I could do not to-."

"Shut up!" She laughed.

"I love you." He told her earnestly, as the car slowed to a stop. He leaned across the console to her side, not stopping until his face softly bumped into the side of hers. "Don't forget that."

"Boz." She whispered as he pressed his moist lips to her temple.

"Come on.. you can get me all set up in my cabin. Help me meet the other campers." He kissed her again before opening the car door and getting out. Slinging his bag onto his shoulder he took a deep breath. It didn't smell like Sully's cabin like he thought it would. He felt Faith beside him and started whispering the tune from Deliverance.

"We're in Massachusetts." She said blankly.

"And..?"

"Not everywhere outside of the city is the boonies."

"Sure." He scoffed, looping his arm around hers before taking her hand. "Lead the way."

He felt her open the door at the top of the steps, pushing his hands forward to hold it open for her.

"And you must be the Boscorelli's?"

The cheerfulness of the woman made Faith cringe. She looked towards Bosco, his head dropped toward the ceiling.

"Must be." He called back sweetly. Faith smirked.

"Welcome to the Carol Center!" Bosco felt her small hand take the bag from his shoulder before shaking his hand. "I'm Marina!"

"Nice to meet you " Bosco squeezed his wifes hand. "Maurice Boscorelli, call me Bosco. This is my wife Faith."

"Hi."

"You spoke with Serena on the phone." Marnie informed her. "She'd like to meet with you both, and then with you alone Mrs. Boscore-."

"Faith." She snapped rigidly, Bosco smirked.

"Faith. While I show Mr.-"

"Bosco." He said almost as stiffly as his wife, turning his head towards her, as his lip twitched up.

"While I show Bosco around."

"Or we could both sit down and you could describe it to me." Bosco added with the same cheery tone.

"Yeah cause I never heard that one before." The woman said flatly. Faith snickered as Bosco looked towards the sound.

"You're making friends." She cooed. He grinned back at her.

* * *

"Mrs. Boscorelli I understand your concerns."

"Do you?" Faith asked quietly.

"Believe it or not your husband isn't the first man to threaten to leave his wife."

"He-."

"Doesn't want to be a burden? It's a typical reaction Mrs.-"

"It's not your typical-. He's.. Bosco. Once he's got an idea in his head.."

" And from what you and Dr. Finnerly have told me I have a pretty good picture of who your husband is. I understand your concerns. Dr. Finnerly shared them. All I can say is that she felt better after talking to me and I hope that you will as well. What we're going to do is give him back the skills he feels that he's lacking. He he'll be able to see that he can have a life that has purpose and meaning for both of you."

"My husband means everything to me." She said softly. "Everything."

"Mrs. Boscorelli.. I understand-.

"Faith! _Please! _Call me Faith.." She took a deep breath. "I'm not Mrs.-. We're not the damn-! We're Faith and Bosco." She rubbed her face. "We're Faith and Bosco."

* * *

"Call me when you get home." He muttered into her hair inhaling deeply.

"I'll call you on the way." She soothed, trying to sound calm. "It's just two weeks before I visit."

"You'll bring Miller?" His voice faltered at the mention of the baby.

"Of course I will."

"I want you to fly when you come down. Don't drive with the baby, Okay?"

"What ever you want me to do." She whispered, her pitch getting higher. Bosco clenched his eyes shut. "I don't want to leave you here."

"It's for the best."

"Promise you'll come home to me."

"Faith. I gotta go learn how to be blind." He chucked his thumb over his shoulder casually before his hand came to rest in her hair..

"Boz please promise me." She gripped at him. He kissed her cheek, moving slowly to her lips.

"I can't do that." He kissed her again. "Call me from the road?"

"Bosco.." She whimpered dropping her face to his chest. Bosco tugged at his glasses, yanking them from his eyes and shoving them in his pocket before gripping her cheeks, bringing her face up to his.

"I love you." He whispered calmly tracing his thumbs over her face slowly, trying desperately to see her. "Faith, I love you."

"I love you." She whispered.

He felt his way to her forehead, planting a kiss there before pulling away, easing her arms away from him and taking a step back.

"Go." He nodded. "I'll be okay."

"I won't be." She whispered to herself as he backed up into the door, yanking it open.

Turning slowly, Faith Boscorelli left her partner at the Carol Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind.


	24. Chapter 24

**Week Four**

"Karen says she thinks it's a good idea."

"Yeah. I guess." Bosco sighed, leaning against the wall in the small room. "How's it going so far ?"

"It's intresting. He's better then the last guy. I don't know, maybe it'll be good for me."

"Yeah cause last time did wonders." He snickered.

"Well maybe I won't lie through my teeth this time since my job isn't on the line." He listened to her try not to sound hurt.

"I don't know. I don't think this'll end well for me. We'll both find out that you are always right and I am more trouble then I'm worth." He teased letting her off the hook.

"That's what I'm counting on." She giggled.

"I miss you."

"I miss you more." Faith stated. "Miller misses you the most. Since we got back from our visit, every time we get in the car now she says 'Daddy Daddy.'"

Bosco swallowed hard, imagining his baby calling for him and him not coming.

"Four weeks isn't that long." He told Faith, trying to believe it himself. "By then I'll be amazing you with my new skills."

"You amazed me two weeks ago with your old skills." She whispered, heat traveling down the length of his body when she did.

"Faith.." He choked out in a small plea. "You're killing me."

"Well we can't have that." She snorted, her soft laugh filling his ears again. Bosco reluctantly touched the edges of his wristwatch, finding the two small notches with his fingers.

"It's eleven thirty Faith."

"Don't do that."

"I have to or you'd never sleep."

"I don't want to hang up."

"Okay." He breathed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I'll call Wednesday."

"Call tomorrow. Just to check in?"

"Just to check in." He rubbed his hand over his face. "Kiss the kids."

"Kay."

"Goodnight Faith." With that he quickly hung up the phone, running his hand through his hair and nodding to know one. "Goodnight Faith."

* * *

**(Bosco's therapy session)**

"She didn't even have to think about it."

"What?"

"Shooting for me. She didn't even consider it."

"This surprised you? More than her actually saying no?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She's my partner. She's supposed to have my back."

"Why are those words familiar to me?"

"Cause she said them to me."

"I see. Here it is. When you argued in the-."

"She called me useless."

"You go back to that a lot."

"Do I?"

"Yes."

"She didn't mean it. She was scared Fred had just had a heart attack."

"But it still effected you enough that we keep coming back to it."

"And?" He spit the word out of his mouth.

"And I'm wondering why."

"You're wondering-? Cause it was her. She's not supposed to-. Damn it."

"You're angry at her."

"You're damn right I'm angry at her! I did nothing for her? Nothing? I would do anything for her. ANYTHING!" His voice calmed into a shaky sad whisper as he realized what he was saying. Memories started crashing together in his mind. "I lied for her. I kept her secrets. I took bullets in the vest for secrets she kept form me. I took bullets for her! I chose her life over mine! I.. I.. I loved her and she wouldn't lie for me? Do you know how many lies I've told for her? How many things I covered up for her? Secrets.. I've.. She wouldn't shoot for me.. I'd die for her but she wouldn't shoot for me."

* * *

**(Faith's turn)**

"Sometimes I think we've been through too much." Faith looked slowly around the room. "Like we've hurt each other too many times for it to be okay. For us to be okay. I let him down again and again.. telling him the whole time it was his fault. Rolling my eyes at all of the things he did, secretly begging him to keep doing them. What would I do if I wasn't fixing Bosco's mistakes you know?" She took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes. "What would I do if he didn't need me anymore?"

"And now how do you feel? Does he need you now?"

"Of course he does he's completely helpless now." She snapped.

"And you feel..?"

"Completely helpless now." She whispered. "I feel like I fed off Bosco's strength and now that he's not strong I'm starving."

"There have been times in the past where you've had to be the strong one."

"Sure."

"What's different now?"

"I don't know."

"Think about it."

"I.. They were temporary, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I don't know.."

"Faith think of a time in the past when you were the strong one."

"He.. he had a panic attack once. On the street.."

"What did you do?"

"Held him." She looked at her hands. "Tried to calm him."

"How did you feel?"

"Panicked." She laughed. "Completely.. panicked."

"What about after he was shot?"

"What about it?" She watched her hands twist on her lap.

"He was completely helpless then. How did you feel then?"

"I.." She swallowed hard, feeling the bile in the back of her throat. "I don't want to talk-."

"Faith. How did you feel then?"

"I..." She shook her head again.

"Panicked, fearful, angry, sad?"

"Desperate."

"Desperate?"

"He was dying. He was dying right in front of me. Dying for me. And I.."

"You what Faith?"

"I never told him." She brushed the tears away angrily. "He never knew how much I.. needed him.. loved him.. I thought he was dead. That's why I did it. I did it for him. To show him.."

"What did you do?"

"I showed everyone. I showed Cruz, and Fred and everyone.."

"What did you show them?"

"How much I loved him." She gasped, tears slipping over her face. "I showed them."

"How?"

"I killed the Bastard."

* * *

She collapsed against the bed, rubbing her eyes before rolling onto her side. Miller had finally fallen asleep, calling heart wrenchingly for her Daddy.

She jumped when the phone rang, it could only be him.

"Boz?" She murmured, grabbing the phone up to her ear.

"Yeah." He breathed back.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself."

"You okay?" Her voice broke softly, she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip.

"Baby.." He whispered, drawing the word out in a painful sigh. "I.." She clenched her eyes shut, catching her lip again as it slipped out slowly. "Faith.."

"I'm here." Her words came out in a small voice, like a lost child who'd just been discovered. "I'm here Bosco."

"Faith."

"I'm.. It's okay.. " She cradled the phone to her head, softly cooing at him. "I'm here. Boz.."

"I need you to tell me.."

"What?"

"Faith I need you to tell me you need me."

"More than anything." She fought down the hysterics that she could hear slipping into her voice. "I need you more than anything."

"Tell me again."

"I need you. Miller needs you. We.." Tears came freely then, cascading over her red cheeks faster and faster. "I can't do this without you. I can't-. You're the only one I want, the only thing I have. You know that. You _have_ to know that."

"I feel so damn.." He stopped, panting through the sobs he was fighting. "I feel so fucking-." Her mind reeled, tossing possibilities up for her. _Tired, frightened, angry, panicked desperate.._ "Useless."

Her eyes slipped shut, as she felt the air leave her lungs in one quick rush. She knew that word. The memory of her own voice sounded in her ear.

"Oh God." She clapped her hand over her mouth for a second before shaking her head. "I'm so sorry." The words hurried out. "I'm so sorry Baby. I should have-. I'm so sorry."

He wanted to tell her it was okay. He wanted to consol her but all he could muster was a dull hushing sound.

"Faith.."

"I love you." She sobbed. "I love you and I need you to come home. I need you Bosco. I.."

"Baby it's okay."

"I'm so sorry.."

"It was a long time ago."

"I didn't mean it." She took a deep breath, her voice falling into a normal tone. "I know I can't take it away, but I want you to know, even when I was saying the words I knew I didn't mean them."

* * *

**(Faith)**

"Then why did you say it?"

"I was angry."

"With him?"

"With life. He was just the only one there."

"He was there for you."

"He was always there for me."

"But not how you wanted him to be?"

"No. I just said it."

"_You're never there for me. You're useless. You do nothing for me_."

"I.."

"That's what you remember saying?"

"Yes."

"And you just said them? No reason?"

"I don't know why I said them."

"How did you feel when you said them?"

"Angry."

"At who?"

"The situation. Life."

"Are you sure?"

"Mary Proctor. She wouldn't let me-."

"Faith I don't think you were mad at the nurse." Faith shook her head. "Who were you mad at?"

"I wasn't mad. Fred was dying. I wasn't mad at him."

"Him?"

"Bosco."

"Is that who you meant?"

"It's.. oh crap."

"Faith."

"Fred. I was yelling at..." She shook her head. "Fred.."

"When Bosco fought back, what did you say?"

"When he what?"

"Defended himself."

"He.." She swallowed hard. "He didn't he just went and got the kids." She looked at the wall. "He never.. Oh crap."

* * *

**(Bosco)**

"It's what she does."

"Pushes people away?"

"When things get tough, when she's starting to unravel, she pushes until you have to step back or fall over."

"But not you?"

"No way."

"You push back?"

"No. I just refuse to budge. She can push all she wants. I'm not moving."

"You didn't move that night? The night she called you useless?"

"No. I.. I went and got the kids." He smirked. "I made myself useful."

"Did she apologize?"

"Not then. Later."

"What did you say?"

"I shrugged her off."

"What does that mean?"

"I told her it was no big deal."

"But it was."

"She didn't need to know that. She felt bad enough."

"You felt bad too."

"It's not important."

"Mr. Boscorelli, I have to say I think it's one of the most important interactions between you and your wife. I also think it's something that you have to deal with."

"How?"

"I can't tell you that."

**

* * *

**

**Sorry it's been so long. I moved and real life got in the way. Hope to update quicker. Next chap is half done. **

**Lori**


	25. Chapter 25

It had happened on their first visit, or maybe before he left. She wasn't really sure yet. Her hands shook when she took the test. Pressing her lips together in a silent prayer she was wrong. She couldn't help the light smile that appeared when she saw the second line, or how it crumpled quickly as tears of reality made there way down her cheeks.

The reality was she was here, sitting in this little room again. Having the same conversation she'd had over five years ago with the same stranger. She could do it the same way as before. Hell , her reasons then weren't nearly as valid as they are now.

"My husband lost his vision, his job, and I'm pretty sure his mind I think." She'd whispered to the woman who'd sat patiently, writing it all down on the pad in front of her. "We have a one year old. I'm not sure he's even coming home." Faith drew her hand across her eyes, blinking at the tears. "I'd have to take time from work. I can't take.."

"Mrs. Boscorelli ." She said softly. "Are you considering terminating this pregnancy?"

"I.." She remembered Bosco's angry face when she had said she hadn't told Fred. She remembered the quick hurt look that passed over his features when she'd said she'd had a miscarraige. She remembered the soft way his hand had rested almost unconciously on her abdomen when she was preganant with Miller. She remembered how he'd held her when she'd given birth. How he'd touched Miller gently like she was hand blown glass.

This was_ his_ baby. His. Not _her_ baby that he would come to love. His baby. She ran her hands across her flat stomach, suddenly feeling no ownership. She had no right, no matter what she believed to be morally right or wrong, this was Bosco's baby.

"I can't do this." She let the words come out of her in a rush, pushing up from the table and frantically making her way to the door. She didn't slow down until she was in the car,

* * *

**Week ten**

"Here." Bosco's head jerked up towards Marina's voice int he door way just as the book hit his lap.

"What's this?"

"Read it."

"Ahh.. I'm not very good at the braile yet."

"Read it."

Bosco huffed, dropping his chin from where Marina's voice had come from and flipping open the little book.

"In... the...g-r-e-a-t.. great gre-e-n.." Bosco paused his fingers, pressing his lips together tightly. "Goodnight Moon."

"Figured you'd want to brush up for Friday." He could hear wheels grinding across the floor of the sitting room. "I brought the book cart. It's got harold and the purple crayon.. where the wild things are.. lots of great stuff for you to read to your daughter."

Bosco slid the tips of his fingers over the rest of the page, the smile flickering and fading with each word.

"Thank you."

"Hey no prob."

* * *

"So Friday?" 

"Yeah."

"Big Family meeting?"

"You can go right?" Faith moved around the livingroom, gathering up toys and half full sippy cups into her arms until she couldn't hold one more. Emily watched her for a second before turning her head towards the window. "I mean if you can't no big deal we'll be okay but I really want-."

"I can go." Emily looked up when her mother paused. "Mom?"

Faith was leaning against the side of the couch, her eyes shut tightly.

"I.. stood up to fast." She whispered. "Sorry, you said-?" Faith stopped mid sentence, her eyes widening before slamming shut again, her hand flying to her mouth. She held her other index finger up before making a beeline for the bathroom. Emily winced at the sound.

"Mom?" She walked slowly down the hall, leaning against the bathroom door. "Are you sick?"

"Nope." Faith whispered rubbing her wet hands over her face.

"Was it the take out? Cause I ate the-"

"It's not the take out, Em."

"Then-." Emily's eyes widened slowly. "Oh.. Mom.. Please, You're not-?"

"Yeah.." Faith shot her eyes up to the mirror, nodding at her expressionless reflection.

"Seroiously? Do we have to have this conversation again? I-. Mom do I have to slap the damn patch on your ass myself?!"

"Emily.. " Faith whispered before learching towards the toliet again.

"Fabulous!' Emily groaned closing the door on her mom and starting down the hall.

"What?" Charlie appeared holding his sister's paint covered hands in the air.

"Mom's knocked up."

"Mom's what?" Charlie tossed his head back, dropping Miller's fingers to her side. Emily watched her sister slap the wall with mild intrest. "Shit."

"Yeah no kidding." Emily sighed as Millie slid her red mess back and forth.

"Maybe Georgetown's too close." He muttered as Miller clapped her other hand down, splashing red dots onto the hardwood floor.

"Think Rhode Scholar." Emily grinned, shaking her head. Her grin turned into a wince as her mother retched again.

"Did she tell Bosco?"

"How the hell would I know?"

"Well she told you!"

"No, she just threw up all over the damn place."

"Maybe it's the flu."

"It's not the flu." Faith snapped, leaning against the doorway. "Yes, I'm pregnant. No I haven't told Bosco. And who the hell let Miller paint on the damn-?" She stopped, turning back into the bathroom. "Shit."

Charlie winced looking away from the door.

"Shit." Emily echoed, leaning against the wall.

* * *

"Did you ever ask?" 

"Yes. Once."

"And?"

"It was just before the 55 was attacked, before we went our seperate ways."

"What did she say?"

"I don't remember. Nothing.."

"You never asked her again?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Maybe I don't want to know, maybe it's better sitting around trying to pin point the very second she stopped then actually knowing what I did."

"You think it's something that you did?"

"It has to be doesn't it? I know we were okay. I know we were, after Cruz and everything. We got it back. We were 55-David."

"Then what do you think it was?"

"I don't know. I don't know that's the thing. I went over it and over it for years and I don't know what I did. Did I make a bad call or let her down in some way-?"

"Are you sure?"

"No I don't know when it happened."

"But you're sure it did?"

"What?"

"You're sure she stopped beliving in you."

"I.. Yes."

"She turned to you after the rape. She married you, let you be the father of her child. In spite of everything."

"She-." He swallowed hard. "She did."

"Sounds like she believes in you to me."

* * *

"Em?" She touched his arm when he walked into the room and he looped both of them around her in a quick hug before pulling away. 

"Hi."

"They said you were here. I got nervous, is everything okay?" Bosco let his hand graze the back of the couch until he slipped over the side and settled against the cushion.

"Yeah.." She paused, Bosco pictured her curly head nodding afew times, just like Faith. "I thought I'd come up early.." She moved closer, sitting beside him.

"I wanted to talk to you about my mom."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah.. she's fine.. she just-." Emily sighed. "I was thinking, I'd take Millie for a few hours before the meeting, let you guys have some time."

"I'd like that."

"She needs it Bosco." He bit his lip, letting it slip back out again.

"Em."

"She needs you."

"Emily, I-."

"Tell her." Emily almost ordered. "Tell her you love her and you're coming home."

"Our relationship.." He huffed. "We had a lot of unresolved stuff Em. Stuff that's coming back-."

"So resolve it."

"I love her." He assured her. "And you and Charlie and Millie."

"We know that." She took a deep breath. "Tell her that. Come home."

"I'm not ready."

"Then get ready."

"Emily what's going on?" He jumped a little when her cell phone rang.

"It's Mom. I'm gonna meet her at the desk, and then I'm going to take Miller shopping."

"Emily."

"She's falling apart Bosco. She wants you to come home." He could tell she was by the door now. "She needs you to come home."


	26. Chapter 26

"You scared?" Bosco sat with her on the small couch,

"Of what? Shopping with Em?"

"No. About leavin' Miller here with me."

"Of corse not."

"You know what I miss?"

"What?"

"Being able to look at you and know if your tellin' me the truth."

"I am."

"Okay."

"Don't sound so sure of me, Boz.."

"Hey if you say you're not scared, you're not scared."

"Damn right." She muttered turning herself on the couch until they were facing.

"Kay." His stoic face nodded at her determindly. He saw right through her, blind or not.

"Boz.."

"What?"

"I'm a little scared." She pressed her forehead into his shoulder.

"Me too." He sighed kissing her on the head. She could feel him fight the smile forcing it's way onto his lips.

* * *

"So?" 

"We had couples therapy where I found out that I ruined everything after your dad's heart attack and he's been trying ever since to win back trust that I never lost in him . He thinks I think he's incapable. I think he's going to leave me or die and because of that I can't let him be him. Which in turn, makes him feel incapable."

"Wow."

"Oh and I'm afraid of triangles."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"And?"

"And what?" Emily looked at her like she was insane.

"Mom! What did he say about the baby."

"I didn't tell him."

"Mom!" Emily pulled at her menu until she could see her mother's face. "What are you waiting for Delivery?"

"Emily it's complicated."

"You gonna keep it, right?" She whispered slowly, her eyes droppin to the table."I mean I'm not judging you. I know why you-."

"Em."

"I know you only kept Miller because John wanted you to and-."

"Emmy.." The young woman's eyes slipped up to her mothers. "It's Bosco's baby."

"He's gonna be happy about it, Mom. I just know he is. It's hard now but it's going to get better, I know it."

"I don't know how I'm going to tell him."

"You're going to sit him down and tell him you have good news."

"I just wanna know first. That he's coming home.. to me. Not just because he has too."

"Mom.."

"Emily it's important."

"Yeah what ever. Like it was important to Bosco that you wanted him and didn't just need him. What ever, it all just equals out to the two of you being to damn proud and waisting years." Emily exhaled slowly. "How'd that work out for you last time?"

* * *

Marina was in the lobby of the family pods streached out on the sofa reading a book when Faith got back. She looked at her for a second.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you." The girl grinned at her. "I need to lock the door."

"Are they sleeping?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Faith looked quickly towards the hallway that led to her Family Suite. "You haven't checked on them?"

"Mrs. Boscorelli I-."

"He's been in there all night alone?" She didn't wait for an answer as she started across the hall, her shoes clapping against the tile floor. "You just left them?"

She slipped her card into the door and hurried in not waiting for Marina's explanation. Heading down the hallway to Miller's room stopping short at the scene before her.

He didn't hear her come in. Probably because he was consentrating so hard on the book in his hands.

"_And the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house_." She watched his fingers dance easily over the page. "_And the tree was happy_, Seriously.. the tree was codependant Mill, really."

"Twee"

"Put Daddy's hand on the tree."

"Twee." She muttered slapping Bosco's hand down over the illistration.

"It's bumpy."

"Bumpy Twee."

"Bumpy codependant tree." He mused, kissing her head.

"I'm pregnant." She felt the words slip off her lips, as Bosco's head rose slowly, his lips parting softly. "I.. I'm pregnant.".


	27. Chapter 27

"Millie, Daddy'll be right back." He breathed softly, slipping out from under her and making his way slowly towards Faith until his hand hit her arm. Putting both hands on her shoulders he turned her, pressing her back down the hallway and into the other bedroom. She watched his hands lift slowly pressing his palms towards her in a motion to be still as he found the edge of the bed before reaching back out and grabbing her hand. He eased her down onto the comforter.

"Say something." She whispered nervously. He licked his lips, swallowing hard.

"I have to finish a book about a tree." His voice was soft and raspy. "Don't move."

He turned slowly and guided himself along the wall. Faith sat there.

What the hell did that mean? He's got to finish a book about a tree?! She tell's him she's pregnant and he tell's her not to move? What the hell? Her mind reeled. She tried to remember the damn book and how much longer the damn tree had before it became a damn stump. He made a house.. a boat.. then a stump.. okay. See It wasn't much longer now. Damn, she had to admit, Bosco was right about the stupid tree. Codependant foliage, who knew?

It seemed like hours not minutes when he appeared again in the door way.

"Are you sure?" He whispered softly.

"I'm fourteen weeks." His eyebrows furrowed instantly.

"Excuse me?" Her head bobbed down to the carpet. "You're what?"

"Fourteen we-. Look Bosco I didn't know how to tell you."

"So you decided blurting it out was the best way?" He shook his head. "Not durring therapy? Or the hour we spent on the couch talking?"

"It just came out!" She moaned. "You were sitting there all Super Dad with Miller and it just came out."

He scoffed when she said 'Super Dad'.

"I doubted you." Her voice caught, coming out in a tearful gasp. "Not because I don't believe in you or I don't love you but because I'm scared Bosco. I'm so scared. I feel like we're too good at screwing us up. I feel like we're too good at it now." She whispered softly. "We got so good at it." He moved across the floor slowly, trying to gage where she was in the room. She reached out tentativly, brushing her fingers with his, his fingers quickly tangling hers up as he sunk to his knee's infront of her. "I kept loosing you.. to Cruz and Anti-crime.. to myself.. to those bullets, to the anger.. I kept loosing you."

"I'm still here." He whispered softly, tracing his free hand down her cheek.

"And now I'm terrified." She choaked out angrily.

"It's okay."

"I'm so scared I'm going to loose you to yourself this time." She confessed. "I could feel you leaving."

"I'm right here."

"I'm.. I.."

"Shh.. " He raised himself enough to slip onto the bed beside her easing her down against the pillows. "The thing about all that Faith? All that leaving.." He traced the edge of her face, smoothing his thumb over the tears under her eyelashes. "I came back." He pressed his lips together. "Every single time Faith, I came back to you."

Her lips parted softly as his eyes fell into hers. The intensity startled her for a second.

"Boz?" She breathed slowly. "Can you see me?"

His head shook almost without moving.

"You're looking right at me." Her voice was soft, like noise would break the spell. She lifted her hand to his face holding it against his cheek.

"What do you see?" He asked, swallowing against the tightness of his throat.

"My Partner." He closed the space between them, kissing her tenderly.

"I love you."

"I love you, Boz." She let her eyes slip shut as he moved his hand down her body, resting firmly over the slight curve of her belly.

"Fourteen weeks means before I left?" He moved his thumb against her skin.

"Just before." She answered, joining his hand with hers, watching a smile slip onto his face.

"You been sick?" She grunted in response and his smile twiched wider. He kissed her again. "So sorry to miss that."

"Such sympathy."

"I can't come home yet, Faith." He told her, his voice serious but soothing. "Four more weeks atleast. I still to figure some stuff out."

"About us?"

"No." He told her quickly, dropping his head onto the pillow next to hers and kissing her face. "About skills I need to have a job. How I can be sure that I can do the things that Miller's going to need me to do." His fingers stopped there strokes and once again he stilled over their baby. "Miller and.. someone else."

"Michael maybe?" Her voice was tentative, watching his face as his mouth formed a soft oval. "For a boy?"

"Really?"

"If you want."

"I.. yeah.." He pressedhis lips together. "You gonna be okay? By yourself I mean?"

"I have Charlie." She sniffed. "I can make it another month."

"Four weeks sounds sooner."

"I can make it four weeks."

"Kay."

* * *

**Family Meeting**

"I thought you'd decided on two more four week sessions?" Bosco's Family Plan Manager looked from the folder to his patient.

"Yeah well, something came up." He nodded feeling Faith's fingers tighten over his.

"Bosco, I know I don't have to tell you the importance of-."

"My mom's preganant." Charlie inturupted. All eyes turned towards him. "I leave for college in August. He has to come home."

The director turned slowly back towards Faith and Bosco. Boz's lip twiched into a half grin.

"What he said." He nodded towards the direction of his stepson's voice.

"I see." He turned to the man beside him. "Frank?"

"I can recomend a good therapist." He looked at his notes. "Dr. Brenner's who you've been seeing right Faith?" She nodded. "I think it might be good for you both to see the same person."

"Marina?"

"If Bosco's willing to up the pace. I'm willing to." The girl smiled at Faith. "We need to go over baby care I guess huh?"

"I wanna do First Aid again too." He said softly.

"What about Job readiness?"Faith asked softly. "I'm going to have to take a leave at work."

"I've been talking to a Lieutenant with the 7-9 about some phone work. Department PR mostly. He can start out working at the station and hopefully eventually he can work from home." The Social Worker set down her pen and looked at Faith. "We're really going to have to bump up your computer skills."

"Not to mention his PR skills." Emily snickered.

"Hey.. I can relate to the public. I related to the public on the street for fifteen years!"

"You related_ poorly_ to the public." Faith admitted.

"So perhaps not PR?" The woman frowned.

"I can do PR!" Bosco shouted. Faith shook her head slowly beside him.

"Can he take a class or something?" Charlie muttered.

"Hey!" Bosco shouted tossing his hands in the air. "It's bullshitting people into thinking you've done what they wanted you to do. I can bull shit with the best of them."

"True." Faith said softly.

"So.. PR it is." He huffed. "Maurice Bosorelli.. NYPD PR."

"I like that better then NYPD (RTD)" Faith sighed, he reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"So we're agreed? We get all this done in four weeks."

"It's an optimistic deadline at the most."

"Well ladies and gentelmen.." Bosco clapped his hands together. "The glass is half full."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: We're wrapping up here. Two more chapters after this I think... maybe? I know how it ends now... and well... You'll have to wait.**

* * *

"Faith?" He moved down the hall slowly, his fingers sliding easily over the cool wall. He could hear her trying to calm herself when he leaned against the door frame. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She might have been convincing if it wasn't obvious she'd been crying, and if he was a total idiot.

"Liar." A wide smile cracked his face when she attempted to snort out a remark but only came up with exasperated tears. He winced and moved forward slowly, finding her at the sink and pulling her into his arms. He kissed her forehead, wiping the dampness from her temple with his fingers.

"I thought I was done puking my guts out."

"You're upset." He rubbed her back in slow circles lulling her into calm.

"It's stupid." She curled her face into his neck.

"No it's not." He kissed the top of her head, tightening his arms around her before continuing. "Fred's here."

"Already?" She croaked.

"It's two."

"Already?"

"Faith."

"Fine, what ever. Lets get this over with." He took her hand and let her navigate the hallway for him.

"Hey Faith." Her ex husband muttered distractedly. "I don't know Charlie I think it's stuck."

"Bosco can do it." He could hear his stepson moving around the room, gathering up last minute things. "He's the only one who can ever figure the damn thing out. 's on the table, Bosco."

"Really?" The utter amazement in Fred's voice made him laugh as he started forward..

"Fingers still work Fredo." He snickered, reaching forward until he found the table, the bag.

"I didn't mean.." Bosco snorted waving a hand at him.

"It's fine." He fingered the zipper for a second assessing the problem area.

"Where's Miller?"

"Nana came and got her." Charlie muttered distractedly, Bosco smiled. He had to remember to tell his mom that one.

"Nana?"

"My mom." Bosco explained, still grinning as he inched the zipper along until it caught and moved easily around the bag. "There Chuck."

"Thanks Uncle B."

"That it?"

"Yeah.": Charlie whispered.

"You sure you don't wanna come along Faith?"

"I-."

"She's not allowed to _come along_." Bosco interrupted. "Dr. Bower said no."

"Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Bosco answered calmly, listening to Faith huff behind him.

"We went to Florida when you were way more pregnant with Em.."

"She's a lot older now."

"Bosco!"

"Well you are aren't you?"

"You are such a-."

"Hey!" Charlie yelped. "Kid leaving for college here!"

"Sorry Honey." Faith muttered, her voice still directed at her husband. Bosco smiled imagining the glare he was missing out on. "I'm gonna miss you." His wife's voice was muffled by her son's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too Mom." He felt Charlie's hand on his own shoulder and he pulled the boy against him.

"Take care of her." Charlie muttered.

"Absolutely." Bosco smiled letting Charlie pull away.

"We'll call when we get there Faith."

"Thanks Fred."

"You're sure you're okay?""

"I'm fine." Bosco listened to how her exasperated tone got closer as she spoke. He reached forward, unsurprised when his fingers brushed her arm. She took another step back until she was pressed against him. "Just old, apparently." He kissed her cheek.

"Aren't we all." Fred mumbled. "Let's go son."

"Bye."

The door closed and he tightened his hold on his wife with one arm and skimmed the other over the roundness of her body.

"I'm old?"

"Did you want me to tell him the truth?" Bosco said somewhat defensively.

"No." She huffed. "We're going to be late for work."

"What's new?" He snorted, pulling away and reaching to grab the keys off the table before tossing them to her. "You drive."

* * *

The PR department secretary had tried to stop him from coming in. She told him he phone had not stopped ringing. The new director of PR for Major Case was not really _feeling it_ today and it was starting to edge towards obvious. His wife's partner was undeterred, shouting through the bullpen towards his office.

"Bosco!"

"What!" He slammed the phone back on the hook and shot his head up towards Davis' voice.

"I'm going to kill you." Ty paced around the room for a second before dropping into the chair in front of his desk.

"Who did I piss off now?"

"Me. You knocked up my partner and left me with Cline!"

"That bad?"

"You may want to call PS-64 and proactively apologize." Davis rubbed his face.

"What happened?"

"He's an asshole. Seriously he makes you-at your peak assholiness, look like Gustler." Bosco moaned at him. "And I'm no Faith man. I can't reign him in."

"She didn't reign me-." Bosco stopped mid sentence, not needing sight to know that Davis had a yeah right grimace on his face. "What ever." He swatted his hand towards the computer on his desk. "Type it in."

"I swear, he 'scared them straight' alright. He scared the crap straight out of them." Davis huffed typing in the account of what happened. "The damn interview was like a B movie version of good cop bad cop." He paused, listening to the Braille printer click along." This things cool."

"I'm glad you like it." Bosco sassed, shaking his head. "Where is my wife?"

"Laying down." Davis muttered.

"What?" Bosco stopped his fingers mid page and lifted his head towards Davis. "Why?"

"I think she had a head ache."

"She say that?"

"What?" He looked at Bosco's face, watching the man fumble towards the phone. "No she just kept rubbing her head." Bosco ran his fingers over the phone before punching one of the preprogrammed numbers. Davis watched the impatient look on his face as he waited. "Everything okay?"

"Damn it." He set the phone back and started gathering the papers on his desk. "Where is she?"

"Her office."

"Great." He fumbled with the small stick next to him until he got it how he wanted it, starting out of the office.

"Was it something I said?" Davis teased watching him go.

"Keep typing Davis."

* * *

"Faith?"

"Hey." She'd opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the cane clicking against the hallway outside. He'd been home almost six weeks now and she'd already become accustom to the sound. "What's wrong?"

"What's wr-? Davis said you had a headache."

"I didn't say that." She told him softly, rolling onto her side so she could pull him down beside her on the couch.

"Does that mean you do or you don't?" She bit her lip.

"Just a little."

"Faith.."

"I'm okay." He fumbled for her hand, slowly feeling along her knuckles. She smiled at him, trying to keep the laughter from her voice. "No swelling, no spots floating in front of my eyes.."

"You're laughing?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't think you'd find a life threatening medical condition so funny."

"Boz!" She squeezed his hand. "It's just cute, you know? Watching you fuss for a change."

"Yeah.. cute.." He ran his hand over his face. "It's fucking adorable. I'm calling someone from downstairs to take your blood pressure."

"You are not."

"I am." He tugged at his cell phone, standing up to fish it out of his pants.

"You can't call EMS up here! People will panic." She pulled him back down to her.

"Well they can join the club cause I'm already panicking." He tried to stand up again.

"I'm fine." She pulled herself up to sit in front of him. He jerked his head away, and she resisted the urge to tell him to look at her. Instead she pulled his chin back towards her face.

"I don't know why you do that. I don't have to face you to hear you."

"I need to look at you sometimes." She said softly. His face softened, she watched him still, slowly slipping her eyes into his. It wasn't the same, but it wasn't in vain either. She could still read him best that way. Not like before, but some.

"Sorry." He whispered. She pressed his forehead against his.

"It's okay." She cupped his cheek. "I left you a message."

"Haven't had time to check 'um."

"You wanna knock off early? We could stop downstairs and get me checked out."

"Yeah?"

"Just for you." She kissed his forehead.

"Let me call down there."

"Blame me."

"I always do." He hummed, before his attention jerked back to his cell phone. "Linda? Faith's not feeling well, we're going to head home. Will you lock my office? Thank you. Who? Okay I'll call her from home. Goodnight."

"Call who?" Faith asked as he pulled her to her feet.

"Karen Spence." He answered, deconstructing the cane and holding it out for her. She grabbed it and put it in her purse.

"Wonder what that's about?" He waited as she gathered her papers together and locked them in the file cabint.

"Who knows some blind people picnic or something." He opened his palm and waited for her arm to appear.

"Bosco!" She swatted him with one hand, pulling his outstreached one through her elbow.

"Maybe she wants to get me a dog."

"No way." She groaned, starting them towards the door.

"Come on Faith! Think about it. A big old German Shepard to lead me around."

"You'll have to settle for me." She laughed waiting for him to clear the first step before moving down the case.

"Will you get me my slippers in the morning?"

"Boz.."

If I throw a stick will-?"

"Bosco I wouldn't finish that sentence."

* * *

Bosco let his wife lead him into the firehouse. This was more like it, he decided, keeping the bucket boys in the basment made much more sense to him.

"What's up guys?" He stilled at the familiar voice.

"Kim what are you doing here so early?"

"I'm the Captian's wife I come in when ever the hell I want."

"I know it's great isn't it?" Bosco teased.

"So I'm guessing you didn't come to visit, what's up?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Bosco aske frankly, feeling Faith grip his hand.

"Did I ever tell Faith you kissed me that one time?" She asked back just as frankly.

"Not until right now." His wife countered trying and failing to sound mad.

"Yeah, you and half of New York, but now I'm a kept man. We need a favor."

"Like a 'get my bag' kinda a favor?"

"Yeah." Bosco heard her rustle around when Faith anwered.

"Come in here." He followed his wife, listening as a door shut behind him.

"Can you check her blood pressure?" Kim must have nodded because he heard the rip of velcro felt Faith tugging at the button on the cuff of her blouse. He did it for her, pulling it up as far as he can get it to go.

"Everything okay with the baby?" Kim asked worriedly as she strapped the cuff to her arm.

"Babies." Faith corrected.

"Seriously?" It was almost a squeal, and Bosco smiled. He suddenly wanted to tell everyone.

"Yeah." He breathed.

"How many we talking about here?"

"Two!" Faith spat, rubbing her hand along her abdomen. "Just two."

"Sorry."

"She thinks she's huge."

"Your not."

"How is it? Is it okay?"

"A little high, but not too bad. You on Mag?"

"Yeah." She whispered.

"One of the babies is small." Bosco said softly.

"Boz.."

"You told her everything else." Faith's head tilted onto his shoulder.

"How small?"

"Too small." Faith said softly. They hadn't talked about it, not even with each other. The doctors had explained it, and they had nodded. Faith had cried. Bosco had comforted. He decided that maybe they should start talking. "They're going to start steroids when I get to twenty six weeks."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." She whispered


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: I pride myself in my medical ****authenticity**. SO.. I wasn't going to do this.. However.. I work at a hospital and a friend of mine brought me a research article... 

**It was fate.**

* * *

Faith had been asleep for a while before Bosco remembered Karen Spence. 

She however hadn't forgotten. He looked down at the silenced phone seeing her number on the caller ID followed by X12.

She'd called twelve times?

He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Faith?"

"No. It's Bosco."

"I've been trying you guys all day."

"I see that. Everything okay?"

"Only if you wanted a chance to see your children grow up."

"Am I dying of something I don't know of?" He snorted.

"No.. Bosco.. I mean _see _them grow up."

An hour later, Karen and James were sitting in the livingroom and Faith was making coffee.

"UK physicians are pioneering the use of adult stem cells to cure blindness so far, they have used the therapy to restore eyesight in 40 patients with varying types of blindness." Karen read.

"Are you sure he'll qualify?" Faith spoke quietly like her question would make the whole topic fall apart.

"He meets all the qualifications. They were very interested in the cop angle."

"It's good PR. For the department too." Bosco muttered. "They'd get donations.Backstoppers too."

"Could you work at work and focus now?" Faith snapped, he returned his fingers to the page, skimming along the words.

"Lots of side effects." He muttered, feeling his wife's hand on his arm. She folded his hands around the coffee cup. "Thanks."

"What?"

"Pain, tumors maybe."

"Tumors?" Faith haulted her step, turning back towards him.

"None of the patients in the British trail have developed tumors, Faith." James informed them. "Look Bosco this is a big deal. Short of them growing new eyes in a test tube I'm not going to be seeing anything in this lifetime. But you..."

"So what are we talking about here?" He exhaled slowly. "Like lights and colors see?"

"No. Like '_twenty/twenty eyesite'_ see." Karen whispered.

"Like _'back in a radio car'_ see." Faith added softly, dropping onto the couch beside him. "I-." She took his hand squeezing it firmly.

"I just wanna see my babies, Faith." He said softly. She swallowed hard, regripping his hand.

"When can we meet with this guy?"

* * *

"So you'll get another steroid dose today and next week we'll talk about our options." 

"I thought you wanted to wait till I was 34 weeks."

"As soon as it becomes safer to treat them on the outside? We're delivering." Dr. Bower furrowed her eyebrows. "Depending on how much amniotic fluid Twin A's got we'll evaluate if we have to remove any." The woman dropped the gel onto her abdomen. Faith looked at Bosco, sprawled out in the chair by the wall, head turned, lazily playing with the fingers of the hand he was holding. "Okay. Placenta still looks good."

"You didn't have to come you know." She said, trying to hedge the irritation out of her voice.

"I wanna hear what's going on."

"I could have put her on speaker phone. You could have stayed at work."

"You wanna have me phone in an ultrasound?" He huffed. "I'm trying to be there for you."

"Your negativity isn't helping me."

"Negativity?"

"You're only here in case it's bad. You're only here to comfort me when they tell me he's-."

"I'm here cause I wanna be here." He intrupted, his hand dropping away from hers.

"Excuse me.." Dr. Bower said softly. "Here's Baby 'A'."

"Michael." Bosco snapped, before softening his tone. "His name is Michael."

"Sorry." Faith could feel her looking at her, but she was busy taking in the contures and shapes of her son on the screen. "There's his heart, all four chambers look okay. And there's his face."

"It's much clearer now." She whispered.

"Okay.. and here's.. I'm sorry what's' B's' name?"

"David." She turned her face away from the screen, looking at Bosco as he spoke against the lump in his throat. Faith pressed her lips together, reaching slowly for his hand again exhaling a when he took hers, swirling his fingers over the back . "David."

"There's his heart. Four chambers. Nice beat." Faith watched him, her fingers locking around Bosco's. "You can see the difference in size can't you, Faith?"

"Yes." Told her quickly, licking her lips before wiping the tears away with her free hand.

"There is more development then three weeks ago."

"That's good?"

"It's something."

"He's moving." Faith whispered."He's the mover, Boz."

"He's tough Faith." Bosco told her softly.

"I don't want to downplay the seriousness of this condition on everyone's health here. Faith and both of these babies. Right now Bab- Michael's- doing a lot of work here, the thicker the blood the more strain that puts on his heart."

"What about David's kidneys?" Faith murmmered.

"I can't really tell you anything from the ultrasound."

"What about the surgury?"

"Michael's condition is still really stable right now-."

"What about David?"

"Faith he's got four weeks if you manage to carry to 34."

"If I go on bed rest?"

"It can't hurt."

"Done."

"It's not a-."

"I know." Bosco lifted her fingers to his mouth and pressed his lips against them softly. "But it's something."

* * *

"This is rediculous." 

"Really cause I'm loving every freaking second of-. Right! Right!" She screeched. "Seriously can't you push me in a straight line?"

"Faith I gotta keep my hand on the damn wall. You're not exactly feather light."

"Screw you."

"I'm a blind man pushing a wheelchair Faith I'm already screwed!"

"My hands need a break okay?"

"Can I help you?" They both jumped. Faith smiled politely.

"Yes." Bosco snickered behind her at the sudden sweet tone. She shot him a wasted dirty look. "We're looking for Doctor Hudson's office."

"You found it." She smiled back." Could I push you inside?"

"Please." Bosco moaned sticking out his hand to his wife. She reached in her purse and pulled out the folded cane. Thrusting it into his grip. "Thank you." He muttered shaking it out.

"I'm Cindy. I'm Dr. Hudson's receptionist."

"I'm Faith. This is Bosco. We have a two o'clock appointment."

"Boscorelli?" She stumbled over the name. "Maurice?"

"Bosco." He corrected with a sweet grin.

"Right." She nodded at Faith. "You can wait in exam one."

A half an hour later Dr. Hudson had explained every painstaking detail of implanting harvested stem cells into Bosco's eyes.

"I'd like you to join the study Officer Boscorelli."

"Okay." He said softly, tracing the palm of Faith's hand with his index finger.

"Really?" Faith whispered, her voice light.

"Really. Let's do it."

"When?"

"I believe I have room next Tuesday." He looked at Cindy who nodded. "Hopefully we can have your sight back in fifteen days." Faith closed her hand around his." Cindy can get you started on the Paper work."

"I can.." Faith pulled her hand back slowly. "What do I need to-?"

"I'll take you out to my desk?" Faith was wondering if Cindy always talked in questions.

"Sure."

"Let me see if I have one that's not in Braille." She dug around the desk. "I need ID from him."

"I'll get it." She stood up slowly.

"I could-."

"No it's okay. I'm allowed ten minutes every hour. I need to stretch."

"I can imagine. Preterm?"

"Sort of." She gave the woman a half grin and started back towards Bosco's room.

"I just need to be sure." She halted when she heard her husband's serious tone.

"Mr. Boscorelli-."

"Bosco."

"Bosco.. the possibility of tumors exists in any stem cell procedure. However there hasn't been any cases. And the down time is minimal."

"My..wife.." He took a deep breath. "My wife and kids need me. Now. I can't have any down time. And Faith.. she's the strongest person I know but.. I can't risk her loosing me. Not now, not with the babies havin' problems." He rubbed his hands through his hair. "If it's between being blind and not being there for her. I'd rather just stay blind."

"What happened to lets do it?" Faith said quietly. Bosco's head bobbed to the ground.

"You're not supposed to be walking."

"How'd you know I was?"

"Cause you snuck up on me. No way you could do that in the chair." He reached out his hand, pulling her to his lap.

"Boz.. we have to try."

"Faith.."

"We have to."

"What if we're asking for too much?"

"What?"

"For you to be okay, for the boys to be okay.. for me to be okay.." She buried her face in his shoulder.

"The way I see it.." She whispered. "It's all or nothing.. we go for broke. In for a penny in for a pound."

"What does that mean?" He sniffed back a laugh.

"It mean's let's go for it."

* * *

"Shh.. relax." Bosco tightened his hold on her. Pressing each palm ever so firmly against her temples. 

"Easy for you to say you can't see the size of this freaking needle. I swear even Proctor would be freaking out."

"Faith I've numbed the area around the injection site." Dr. Bower assured.

"Great. Super. Can you numb my brain too?"

"Relax." Bosco muttered.

"Those glasses are freaking me out." She muttered closing her eyes to keep from looking at him hovering above her.

"It's so my eyes don't freak people out." He muttered rubbing the sides of her head.

"They don't look so bad."

"Says you." He snickered. "Linda actually screamed."

"Linda's a wuss. It just looks like you had a few too many."

"She said there was no white."

"There's some white!" She protested. Bosco leaned his face in and kissed her. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at herself in the reflection of his glasses. "This is going to take forever."

"All done."

"Huh?"

"Your husbands great at distracting patients. Can I borrow him for my afternoon session?"

"No." Faith said quickly.

* * *

"Boz.." 

"What?" His eyes burned when he blinked them open, feeling her grip tighten on his arm. "What's wrong?"

"Contraction."

"What?" He sat up, turning towards her slowly. "You sure?"

"Of course I'm fucking- Ahh!" He felt her head drop against his chest and he rubbed his thumb along her back. "It's bad." She whimpered. "Christ! Bosco, it's really bad."

"Okay. Okay." He pulled away from her and grabbed the phone from the nightstand and dialed three numbers.

"I need an ambulance."

* * *

"Twin to twin transference, 32 weeks gestation. Membranes ruptured, dilated to ten, baby A engaged at minus two." The EMT they didn't know was yelling into his radio. "Five to ten minutes out." 

"Copy Boy-2." Faith screamed again and Bosco tried to comfort her.

"I will not have these babies in a bus! I will not have these- Aggg!" She stopped and blew out two quick breaths.

"Don't push, Baby."

"I'm trying." She squeaked before her low whimper became a groan. "Oh God. Boz I can't help it!"

"Jen, you better drive faster!" The paramedic called, from between Faith's shaking legs.

"I'm doing the best I can."

"Baby's crowning!"

"No. No. No. Please." Faith moaned before her body stiffened.

"We're pushing." He yelled to his partner.

"We?" Bosco spit at him. Faith dug her fingers into his arm gasping as she stopped to breath.

"Bosco!"

"It's okay." He whispered, fighting down the fear in his voice. "It's gonna be okay." He moved his hands down her body until he could feel her hips, straddling the stretcher behind her. "I'm right here." His hands clamped around her thighs as she pushed again." It's okay."

"Go go go go." The paramedic almost pleaded to her. "There good. Good I got him." The baby gave one pathetic yell before the man clamped a mask over his face and started bagging slowly. His sigh of relief was audible when they pulled into the ambulance bay at Mercy.

"Shit will you two ever get it together?!" Bosco turned his head towards Mary Proctor's voice. "I swear if I got paid extra for every time one of you rolled in here.."

The paramedics started rattling off details, and people started swarming. Bosco felt his wife drop back against him. "Please don't let my babies die." Her voice was quiet the first couple of times she said it, but by the time the pulled her into trauma one she was loud enough for the whole ER to hear. "Please. Please don't let my babies die!"


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Thank you for indulging me in 30 chapters! I can't believe it. Well here we go.**

* * *

"Don't rub them." 

Bosco's head lifted towards the bed.

"You're awake."

"You're not supposed to rub them."

"Sorry."

"You remembered to put the bandages on?"

"Proctor did."

"Kay."

"I.. I could see her fingers.. sort of.. when she did it."

"What?"

"Shadows, when she was up close."

"Really?"

"Yeah.." He sighed, leaning forward and feeling for her hand. "You gonna ask?"

"I'm afraid to." She admitted softly.

"Davey's been breathing on his own for three hours now. They think Mikey will be before morning." He stroked her fingers softly with his own. "His kidney's are working, Faith. They're.. they're worried about Mikey's heart but.. the cardiologist thinks it's going to be fine. The doctors are.. cautiously optimistic." He heard her breath catch. "My mom and Em are down there now. I told them not to hold them. I thought maybe you'd want to be the first."

"We can hold them?"

"Yeah.." He smiled at the innocents in her voice. "Davey can eat tomorrow. They said you could pump if you want to. They brought a big one.. but Emmy brought yours from home.."

"I wanna hold my babies."

"Okay."

* * *

"I'm going to take off the bandages slowly." 

"Thanks for doing this here."

"No problem. I can't imagine how hard it is to leave."

"You have no idea." Faith sighed.

"How much longer?"

"Three weeks at least." She told him. "But they're doing really well."

"That's amazing."

"Yeah it is." Bosco whispered.

"Okay.. " Dr. Hudson backed away slowly. "Keep them closed for a minute." He pulled Faith in front of him and took a deep breath. "Go ahead."

She watched his blue eyes blinked at her, studying them for any sign of anything. His lip quivered ever so slightly as her eyes dropped to the floor and she finally let out the sob she'd been fighting. He wrapped his arms around her loosely.

"It's okay." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Faith, it's okay." He tilted her face back up to his. "You know as much as I hate seeing you cry.." She laughed a little pulling her hand over her cheek. "I have to say it's the most beautiful thing I've seen in years."

* * *

_I don't know why I got stuck doing the epilogue. Maybe to make peace with everyone who wanted to hang me after the last one. But I just have to say once and for all it wasn't my fault. I know better than anyone that these two were supposed to be together. They are Faith and Bosco after all._

"Oh this is gonna cause problems." Faith moaned, tossing the paper back onto the picnic table.

"Hey, I'll switch partners. I have no problem doing that."

"Watch it." Ben Cline yelled from a few feet away.

"Nah.. I'm kind of attached to mine." Faith smiled.

"You better be!" Bosco leaned over her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

"This one stinks!" John Sullivan dangled the baby from his outstretched arms.

"He has a name Sully." Faith muttered as Bosco retrieved the baby.

"Yeah.. can't tell um apart anymore sorry." He shrugged.

"It's Michael." Kim Doherty said firmly, looking at the baby.

"It's David." Bosco corrected, shaking his head at them.

_The twins ended up just fine. Not a long term problem between them, 'cept they looked just like Bosco. Rose looks after them and Miller during the day while their parents are off fighting crime.. being the police.. together again.. criminals beware. Who'd have thought Bosco would be a top notch detective?_

"What the hell?" Sully grabbed the paper, unfolding it with a shake of his head. "Christ."

"Yeah.. that's gonna help the ego make a comeback." Davis muttered.

"Hey.. it was never gone to come back!" Bosco protested, slapping at Ty's arm.

"Medical Miracle: Hero Cop returns to beat." Sully read, scoffing at the words. "Hero Cop."

"It's a love story.." Kim cooed. "He risked his life to save his love. "

"Yeah cause she wasn't smart enough to duck." Faith laughed pulling David away from Emily.

"Faith!" Bosco hollered, handing a changed Mikey off to Kim.

"Do I lie?" She turned to Davis who shrugged.

"Still." He pulled some grapes off of the vine and handed them to Miller who sat quietly at the edge of the table.

"Hero Cop." Sully growled again. "They obviously never met you."

"I'm a medical marvel, Sul." Bosco beamed.

"You're something."

_Davis got used to his new partner. Hell I think Bosco Jr. even grew on him. Turns out he's a much better Faith then he thought. But come on.. we all knew that. He was on my ass for years. Emily finished up medschool about the time Charlie got into law school. They're both great kids. Hell.. they had Faith as a mom. If she can tame Bosco of course she'd raise great kids._

"Daddy I want grapes!"

"I think you should call me Hero Cop Daddy from now on." Bosco teased pulling one of his three year olds ponytails softly.

"Dream on." She muttered rolling her eyes at him.

"Did you see that?" He croaked at Faith, shaking his head. Her mouth quirked into a smile. "She's like mini you."

"She's a smart girl."

"Don't encourage her Sullivan!"

"I think you are very heroic." Faith purred meeting his eyes. He winked at her, leaning over and giving her a kiss.

"Barf." Miller muttered and Faith's face fell.

"That's all you." She said flatly flipping her eyes to Bosco.

"Yeah." He said shortly dropping her eyes away from her with a chuckle.

_I'm still doing my thing. Although my little peice of pardise has gotten awfully crowded since the gang's back together. But hey.. Family's family. I still get to fish a little from time to time._

"Look! Charlie! Ducks!" Miller smiled taking off towards the water with Charlie on her heels. "Uncle Sully's got ducks!"

"Hey Faith?" Bosco whispered leaning over to his wife.

"Hum..?" She wrapped his arms around her waist and held them there.

"Did you know ducks mate for life?"


End file.
